Changing SARS-CoV-2 variants in Karachi, Pakistan from alpha to delta through COVID-19 waves three and four

Authors

Zahra Hasan, Aga Khan UniversityFollow
Uzma Bashir Aamir, World Health Organization, Pakistan
Asghar Nasir, Agan UniversityFollow
Azra Samreen, Aga Khan UniversityFollow
Sayed Ali Raza Bukhari, Aga Khan UniversityFollow
M Asif Syed, Department of Health, Pakistan
Mansoor Wassan, Department of Health, Pakistan
Syed Faisal Mahmood, Aga Khan UniversityFollow
Rumina Hasan, Aga Khan UniversityFollow

Document Type

Article

Department

Pathology and Laboratory Medicine; Medicine

Abstract

We investigated the presence of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VoC) in Karachi, Pakistan between April and July 2021 in specimens received at the Aga Khan University Clinical Laboratories. VoC were identified using a PCR based approach targeting lineage specific mutation. Of the 710 clinical isolates tested, 63% were VoC comprising; 36% alpha, 37% beta, 7% gamma and 21% delta variants. Alpha variants remained the majority whilst, delta strains increased to 43% of cases in July. Thirty-six per cent of all cases were admitted COVID-19 in-patient samples. Of the in-patient cases, 41% were alpha, 28% were beta, 8% were gamma and 24% were delta variants. Overall, we report an increase of delta variants in Karachi over the past two months which is concordant with the currently observed exacerbation in COVID-19 morbidity and mortality.

Comments

Volume, issue and pagination are not provided by the author/publisher.

Publication (Name of Journal)

Research Square

DOI

10.21203/rs.3.rs-828919/v1

Recommended Citation

Hasan, Z., Aamir, U. B., Nasir, A., Samreen, A., Bukhari, S. R., Syed, M., Wassan, M., Mahmood, S., Hasan, R. (2021). Changing SARS-CoV-2 variants in Karachi, Pakistan from alpha to delta through COVID-19 waves three and four. Research Square.
Available at: https://ecommons.aku.edu/pakistan_fhs_mc_pathol_microbiol/1546