Bioperfectus SARS-CoV-2 Variant B.1.617 Real Time PCR Kit (RUO)

In October 2020, SARS-CoV-2 lineage B.1.617 emerged in India, causing an exponential increase in COVID-19 cases across the country. The lineage is further divided into three subgroups: B.1.617.1, B.1.617.2, and B.1.617.3, of which the B.1.617.2 variant (also known as Delta variant) has been designated as Variant of Concern (VOC) by WHO because of significantly increased infectivity. The mutations L452R and E484Q, along with P681R in the furin cleavage site are reported to lead to increased ACE2 binding and rate of S1-S2 cleavage resulting in better transmissibility, and capacity to escape the binding and neutralization by some monoclonal antibodies. The combined detection of these three mutations will contribute to identifying B.1.617.2.