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    Delta Plus: Key things to know about new coronavirus variant

    Synopsis

    One potential risk that has sparked unease among the medical community is that the new variant may be able to bypass immunity provided by both vaccines and earlier infection. However, at the moment, there is no proof that this variant could be more transmissible than others.

    Delta Plus COVID variant: Precautions to take and what 'Variant of Concern' means
    Delta Plus, the new variant of coronavirus, has come under focus following reports of a number of newly detected cases from various parts of Maharashtra as well as a few other states.

    Over 20 cases of Delta Plus infections have been found in Maharashtra, news agency PTI reported quoting state Health minister Rajesh Tope.

    The state health authorities had said last week that the newly identified variant could potentially trigger a third wave of Covid.

    As for how widespread Delta plus is, enough samples have not been genome-sequenced to know. Only about 200 sequences were detected across the globe and just around 30 in India. Maharashtra is seeking complete information about the people detected with the Delta plus variant, including their travel history, whether they were vaccinated or not, and if they were reinfected.

    Where was Delta Plus first detected?
    The variant was first seen in Europe in March this year. In was, however, brought into the public domain only on June 13.

    According to scientists, the Delta variant (B.1.617.2) has further mutated to form the Delta Plus (AY.1) variant.

    Virologists are looking to find out if this new variant may be able to evade pre-existing immunity better than either Delta or Beta.

    What do we know so far?
    Based on what is known so far, Delta Plus is considered highly infectious. There is rising concern in some quarters following warnings by experts that Delta Plus may show resistance against monoclonal antibodies cocktail treatments such as the Roche and Cipla ones being marketed in India at steep prices (almost Rs 60,000 per dose).

    One potential risk that has sparked unease among the medical community is that the new variant may be able to bypass immunity provided by both vaccine and earlier infection.

    However, at the moment, there is no proof that this variant could be more transmissible than others, says Prof Shahid Jameel, former INSACOG (Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomic Consortia) member and one of the premier virologists in the country.

    It is a cause for worry but not panic; whether Delta Plus can beat pre-existing immunity better than earlier variants remains to be seen, he adds.

    Will Delta Plus be more transmissible?
    Delta Plus has the mutation called K417N — first found in the Beta variant (South Africa). This, coupled with the fact that it also possesses all other features of its predecessor Delta, might make the latest variant a lot more transmissible, some scientists seem to think.

    The K417N mutation is within the receptor-binding domain of the spike protein, and this change is noteworthy because this mutation is also found in the B.1.351 or Beta variant of concern, said Prof Jameel.

    The combination of features from other, earlier variants could make Delta Plus adapt better to pull off an immune escape, Prof Jameel told news agency ANI.

    Where does India stand?
    The prevalence of this new variant is still low in India, data shows. Delta remains the dominant variant in the country as of now.

    Apart from Maharashtra, the other states reportedly seeing Delta Plus cases include Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Punjab and Madhya Pradesh so far.

    Delta Plus is not yet classified as a Variant of Concern (VOC). As of now, it is a Variant of Interest (VoI).

    INSACOG is currently studying the potential transmissibility/severity of the new variant. Studies are also on to find out if this variant was prevalent in India during March-April, around the peak of the second wave. A detail report is expected shortly.

    What are the odds of Delta Plus sparking a Wave 3?
    There is no certainty and the current low number is no indication of any trend. Even the B.1.617, the variant at the heart of India's devastating second wave, had been found in very low numbers just ahead of the surge, before reaching epic transmissibility levels over the next two and a half months.

    How are vaccines likely to fare against Delta Plus? There is no telling. The two Indian vaccines have shown 3 to 8 times less efficacy against Delta and Beta, reports say. Now, "whether this coming together of key mutations would be neutral, additive or more than the sum of both remains to be seen," says Prof Jameel.

    Though Maharashtra has said the new variant may trigger a third wave of the pandemic in the state, it has not been corroborated yet by other experts. According to Dr VK Paul, member (Health), NITI Aayog, the way forward is to watch for its potential presence in the country and make an appropriate public health response.


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    ( Originally published on Jun 22, 2021 )
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