Delta Plus variant: New headache as infection spreads in India

The Centre today said that an advisory has been issued to three States on the Delta Plus variant of coronavirus. A day before, it was described as a Variant of Concern by the Health Ministry.

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On Wednesday, the government said that the variant has been found in the genome sequenced samples from Maharashtra’s Ratnagiri and Jalgaon, Kerala’s Palakkad and Pathanamthitta, and Madhya Pradesh’s Bhopal and Shivpuri.

The health department also said that Delta Plus comes with three specific characteristics: Increased transmissibility, stronger binding to receptors of lung cells, and potential reduction in monoclonal antibody response.

The three state governments have been asked to take immediate steps to contain its spread. Not only should crowding be prevented but also widespread testing should be conducted. Prompt tracing and improved vaccine coverage should also be relied on.

Meanwhile, NDTV has quoted sources as saying that Delta Plus is not limited to the three States. The report said that Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Punjab, Andhra Pradesh and Jammu have also got a few cases each. In all, there are believed to be at least 40 confirmed Delta Plus variant cases in India so far. Now that lockdowns are ending fast, its spread has to be contained on a war footing.