Wasn’t the Delta variant first detected in India in late 2020? It’s particularly deadly in India because of high population density and poor sanitary conditions, both of which exacerbate the spread of that COVID variant.
thanks RC88. Right after the first ‘battle of the border’ ?
still on the detective trail, the Beta strain first surfaced in South Africa (china-origin?), and the Delta Plus strain, like the Delta strain was first reported in India. Delta Plus has elements of the Beta strain plus an additional spike protein mutation, K417N.
found this blurb from Yale:
” In mid-June, the CDC labeled Delta as “a variant of concern,” using a designation also given to the Alpha strain that first appeared in Great Britain, the Beta strain that first surfaced in South Africa, the two Epsilon variants first diagnosed in the U.S., and the Gamma strain identified in Brazil...”
and, same article:
“There are additional questions and concerns about Delta, including Delta Plus—a subvariant of Delta, that has been found in the U.S., the U.K., and other countries. “Delta Plus has one additional mutation to what the Delta variant has,” says Dr. Yildirim. This mutation, called K417N, affects the spike protein that the virus needs to infect cells, and that is the main target for the mRNA and other vaccines, she says.
“Delta Plus has been reported first in India, but the type of mutation was reported in variants such as Beta that emerged earlier. “
https://www.yalemedicine.org/news/5-things-to-know-delta-variant-covid