The Delta variant of coronavirus has been detected in at least 80 per cent of the samples sent for genome sequencing by the Delhi government in the last three months, according to official data.

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At a meeting of the Delhi Disaster Management Authority, which devises COVID management policies for the capital, the health department shared that the Delta variant (B.1.617.2) has been detected in 83.3 per cent of the samples sent for genome sequencing in Delhi in July.

In May and June, the variant was found in 81.7 per cent and 88.6 per cent of the samples, respectively. In April, it was found in 53.9 per cent of the samples. The data also showed that the Delta variant has been found in 1,689 of the 5,752 samples from Delhi processed at the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) so far.

The Alpha variant ( B.1.1.7) has been detected in 947 samples. Both Alpha and Delta variants have been classified as "variants of concern" by the World Health Organisation. The Delta variant was identified in India in December 2020 and has subsequently been detected in over 95 countries. It was majorly behind the deadly second COVID wave that infectied lakhs and killed thousands in the country. The Alpha variant was first detected in the UK last year.