The government on Tuesday said the delta plus version of SARS-CoV2 has been detected in 86 samples so far in the country and that has not led to any spike in cases. “We found the delta plus variant in 86 (genome) samples (sequenced),” Sujit Singh, head of the National Center for Disease Control (NCDC), said at a health ministry press briefing.
He said that four variants classified as delta plus – AY1 (B.1.617.2.1), AY2, AY3 and another sub-lineage – in which one more gene has been detected and the only sample from Maharashtra was found in. He said Maharashtra had the highest number of 34 samples detected, followed by Madhya Pradesh (11) and Tamil Nadu (10).
“The detection of 86 samples from different locations since March, with no surge in any district (in cases reported because of this), or narrowing it down to a specific state indicates that it (delta plus version) does not have the capability.” does give rise to any exponential growth. We haven’t found any (such) evidence. “This version, through its transmission, hasn’t produced any major exponential growth,” Singh said.
NITI Aayog member (health) VK Paul said, “There is no evidence of adverse effects over and above the delta variant.” Singh said 80-90 per cent of the samples sequenced in all INSACOG laboratories were of the delta variant.
INSACOG is a consortium of laboratories of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Department of Science and Technology (DST), Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and Department of Biotechnology (DBT). Paul said the Delta version is “ruled by the country and the world” and that many countries are seeing a rise in COVID-19 cases because of it.
The delta variant was the key driver behind the deadly second wave of coronavirus that spread through the country between March and May. It affected health infrastructure, killed thousands and infected millions. Citing a report by the World Health Organization (WHO), Paul said that the transmission efficiency and attack rate of the delta variant is higher than that of other variants of the virus.
If the transmission rate of the original SARS-CoV2 virus is 100, the transmission rate of the alpha version, which originated in the UK, was 60 percent higher than that of the original. Paul explained that Delta’s attack rate is 60 percent higher than Alpha’s. The delta variant has a high viral load and increases the chances of hospitalization, he said. However, Paul said that vaccines help prevent serious illness and mortality against this type.
Singh said the INSACOG network has sequenced 58,240 samples. He said that the B.1.617.3 and Kappa variants are being investigated. Singh said that for any new version, a quick response strategy is prepared and instructions are issued to the states. He said that when a new mutant is detected by a laboratory, its tracking and contact-tracing should be done at a rapid pace.
Singh said that states have been requested to set up rapid response teams at the medical college level. He said that many states have started implementing it. Teams will contact a patient. The teams will consist of a microbiologist, a public health specialist and a doctor who will examine the severity of the disease. The team will take additional samples and send them for sequencing and will also determine the severity of the disease and what public health impact the new mutants are causing.
read all Breaking Newshandjob breaking news And coronavirus news Here
.