Genome Analysis of SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant in the Kurdistan region of Iraq

Since its isolation in the UK, the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant has become an epidemic. This study aimed to decipher the viral appearance and genomic characterization of the Delta variant isolated from patients in the Kurdistan region of Iraq.

Samples were collected from the West Erbil Emergency Hospital, and infection by SARS-CoV2 was confirmed using Real-Time PCR. The sequenced samples were analyzed and compared to the previously published data on Delta variants.

The analysis showed that the variant belongs to SARS-CoV2 Delta variant B.1.617.2, including most of the previously detected mutations in India. The variant includes 13 mutations (11 substitutions and 2 deletions) on the spike region. Some substitutions are the same as the previous Delta isolate (T19R, G142D, T478K, D614G, L452R, P681R, and D950N). However, other substitutions (E156G, T250I, T19A, and L861W) were unique in the spike protein of the Delta variant (EPI_ISL_7405941) found in the Iraq variants.

The impact of the novel mutations needs more study, but the common ones are shown to enhance transmission and escape from immunity. Future studies need to focus on the impact of the different vaccines in the Kurdish population on the Delta variant and the effect of the novel mutations on transmissibility and escape from immunity.