Delta Plus: How is the new variant of coronavir …

Amid the worldwide spread of the Delta variant of the coronavirus, first recorded in India last October, authorities in the Asian country detected the first cases of a new mutation: the “Delta Plus”.

In a statement, the health ministry warned that it is said to have “higher transmissibility, stronger binding to lung cell receptors and a potential reduction in antibody response”.

One of the most supported theories at the moment is that This Plus variant would have arrived in India at the end of May from Europe and would have been mixed with the Delta variant, which led to this new source of concern.

In the coming days, it is expected that health authorities will clarify the scope of this variant and how it can influence infections in this country and possibly around the world.

Meanwhile, India recommended that “although the support measures remain the same, they need to be more specific and effective” and called on local leaders to take immediate containment measures in their districts.

What is the Delta Plus variant?

The Delta Plus variant, whose technical name is AY.1, is a new mutation of the Delta variant virus, which is itself more contagious and dangerous than the original version of SARS-Cov-2, first discovered in Wuhan, China, in 2019.

The characteristics attributed to it are increased transmissibility, stronger binding to lung cell receptors and potential reduction in monoclonal antibody response.

According to the newspaper Time, from Delhi, Maharashtra state had the highest incidence on Sunday, June 20 and confirmed at least eight cases, almost all registered in the city of Ratnagiri.

Although at present there are few known cases linked to this new mutation, specialists have warned that it could be more resistant to the treatments developed so far. At the same time, they clarified that Delta Plus is an interesting variant and that more studies should be done to determine if it affects the effectiveness of the vaccines.

India is the second most affected country in the world by covid-19 after the United States. According to data published by Johns Hopkins UniversityIndia has nearly 30 million cases and around 340,000 deaths.