India: B.1.617 now at 61% of coronavirus genome samples in Maharashtra – was ~20% just one month ago

The National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune, has shared data with laboratories in Maharashtra showing that of 361 Covid-19 samples taken in Maharashtra from January to March and genome sequenced, 61% or 220 had the double mutation E484Q and L452R, now classified as B.1.617 lineage.  More...

Israel: Delta coronavirus variant – “The impression is that the Pfizer vaccine has efficacy against it, albeit a reduced efficacy,”

Israel has registered eight cases of a coronavirus variant first identified in India and believes that the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine is at least partially effective against it, an Israeli health official said.  More...