Delta variant sub-lineages -- AY.1 and AY.2 -- are unlikely to be more transmissible than Delta said INSACOG, a consortium of government panel involved in genome sequencing of coronavirus.
In a recent bulletin, it also said that AY.3 has been identified as a new sub-lineage of Delta and it is defined by 'ORF1a:I3731V common AY.1 mutations except for S:417'.
It is primarily seen in the US with single reclassified case in the UK and India. There are no known significant properties of this mutation but since it is a Delta VOC sub-lineage, INSACOG will continue to monitor it, the bulletin stated.
"It is likely that neither AY.1 nor AY.2 is more transmissible than Delta. They also continue to be below 1 per cent in available sequences from June in India," the INSACOG said.
