India on alert as Delta+ variant detected
Indian health authorities are on alert as the new sub-lineage of SARS-CoV-2's Delta variant (AY.4.2), that have been making rounds in the UK and Eastern Europe, have been detected in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra states.
Covid-19 genomic surveillance experts in India reported some cases of the new variant which is potentially more infectious.
Seven cases of the Delta+ variant have been detected in Indore of Madhya Pradesh in a genome sequencing report by National Centre of Disease Control (NCDC), sources in NCDC said.
Out of seven, two people infected are army officers posted in a cantonment, said Indore chief medical and health officer BS Saitya.
Delta AY.4.2 variant has been detected in less than one percent (27-30 in real terms) samples in the country and has not yet been described as a variant of concern, according to Anurag Agarwal, the lead scientist of the Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology.
The scientists of consortium of government labs, which undertake genome sequencing, have indicated that the new variant may be more contagious and faster transmissible than the Delta strain, reports our New Delhi correspondent.
"Delta remains the predominant variant... a Delta sub lineage newly-designated as AY.4.2 is noted to be expanding in England. It is now a signal in monitoring and assessment has commenced," the NCDC report said.
AY.4.2 was first detected in the UK in July this year and over 15,000 cases have been reported since then. It has been spotted in 33 other countries as well, but the numbers were low.
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