Deltavarianten sprids snabbt – finns nu i 74 länder

SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant, also known as B.1.617.2, is a variant of the B.1.617 lineage of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. It was first detected in India in late 2020. The WHO named it the Delta variant on 31 May 2021.As of May 2021, three sublineages have been found. Despite its name, B.1.617.3 was the first sublineage of this variant to be detected, in October 2020 in India. The B.1.617.3 sublineage has remained relatively uncommon compared to the two other sublineages, B.1.617.1 (Kappa variant) and B.1.617.2 (Delta variant), both of which were first detected in December 2020. There were few known cases of B.1.617 (of all sublineages) until early February 2021 when there was a significant increase.On 7 May 2021, Public Health England changed their classification of B.1.617.2 from a variant under investigation (VUI) to a variant of concern (VOC) based on an assessment of transmissibility being at least equivalent to B.1.1.7. Subsequently on 11 May 2021, the World Health Organization (WHO) also classified this sublineage VOC, and said that it showed evidence of higher transmissibility and reduced neutralisation. The variant is thought to be partly responsible for India's second wave of the pandemic beginning in February 2021.