The new mutant strain of the Delta variant – Delta plus variant was first detected in Europe in the month of March but came to light in June.
On Friday, the Centre said that out of 45,000 samples sequenced for testing, 51 coronavirus cases of Delta Plus Variant have been detected. Maharashtra has reported the highest number in such cases at 20, and it has also reported a death due to the delta plus variant. Maharashtra was followed by Tamil Nadu at nine cases, Madhya Pradesh at seven cases, Kerala at three cases, Punjab and Gujarat at two cases, and Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan, Jammu and Karnataka at one case.
Also Read: Farmers observe save democracy day as protest completes seven months today
The Centre Government also mentioned that about 90% of the Covid-19 cases in India have been driven by the Delta variant (B.1.617.2).
What is Delta plus variant?
Public Health England bulletin was the first which reported the variant, called ‘Delta Plus’ in India.
This new variant has been formed due to the mutation in the Delta variant of SARS-COV2. This mutation has resulted in the formation of spike protein mutation K417N, which is known as the AY.1 variant. This new variant would enter the human body and affect the cells of the human body.
As Delta plus variant is new, therefore, its severity is not known. It is also resistant to the monoclonal antibodies cocktail, the global science initiative has identified more than 60 genomes of the Delta variant along with the new K417.
At this time, in India, the frequency of the spread of the variant is not much but it is high in other nations such as America, Europe and Asia.
Also Read: ‘Just give us the vaccines’: WHO pleads amid vaccine shortage in poor nations
Is the variant a cause of concern?
A new mutation is classified as a ‘variant of interest’ or ‘variant of concern’ depending upon transmission, reduced neutralization by antibodies and vaccine effectiveness against the variant.
The World Health Organization released a statement and said, “WHO is tracking this variant as part of the Delta variant, as we are doing for other ‘Variants of Concern’ with additional mutations.”
It added, “For the moment, this variant does not seem to be common, currently accounting for only a small fraction of the Delta sequences… Delta and other circulating ‘variants of concern’ remain a higher public health risk as they have demonstrated increases in transmission.”
For the time being, India has labelled the Delta plus variant as the ‘variant of concern’. The central government has suggested immediate containment measures.
Are vaccines effective against Delta plus variant?
The Indian government has said that both indigenous vaccines are effective against the variants of Covid-19 like – Alpha, Beta, Gamma and Delta. The vaccines produced by AstraZeneca and the Pfizer-BioNTech alliance are broadly effective against Covid-19 variants – Delta and Kappa.
Also Read: Longest Covid history: Here is the story of a British man who survived contagious infection 43 times
For Delta plus variant, experts say it would be too early to predict the effectiveness of present vaccines. A detailed study would be needed to establish any effect of the mutant on one’s immune system.
However, the Union Health Ministry Secretary, Rajesh Bhushan said that both Indian vaccines would be effective against this new Delta variant.
What are the symptoms of the Delta plus variant?
The symptoms of the new variant are as same as those of Covid-19. Reportedly, numerous people have suffered with symptoms like – Sore throat, runny nose, fever and headaches.