One case of Delta Plus variant comes to light

Health Minister Dr. K. Sudhakar confirms about deadly infection in Mysuru

Mysore/Mysuru: There are over 40 cases in the country of the new Delta Plus strain, which has been tagged as a “Variant of Concern” by the Centre and the Government has sent a warning to Maharashtra, Kerala and Madhya Pradesh on Delta Plus cases found there.

Sources say that cases of the new strain, a mutation of the Delta strain or B.1.617.2 variant first detected in India, are not confined to these States. 

Delta Plus variant is closely related to the Delta variant, a major contributor to the second wave of COVID-19 in India. Like Delta, the Delta Plus variant has mutation in the spike protein region of the RNA virus, which potentially makes it more transmissible and it is resistant to monoclonal antibody cocktail treatment for COVID-19 recently authorised in India

 In Mysuru too, one Delta Plus strain has been confirmed and 40 blood samples have been sent to National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru and the test results are awaited. The confirmed case of Delta Plus variant in Mysuru was reported on June 2, Dr. V. Ravi, Nodal Officer for genomic confirmation of SARS-CoV-2 in Karnataka told newsmen.

“The sample was collected in May and sent to the genome sequencing lab in NIMHANS. The variant was not named Delta Plus then and the male patient was asymptomatic and had not been vaccinated. He is doing fine now,” Dr. Ravi was quoted as saying.

Health Minister Dr. K. Sudhakar confirmed to reporters in Bengaluru this morning that one case of Delta Plus variant has been detected in Mysuru. “Yes, the patient is asymptomatic and has not contracted the disease from any contact. Six laboratories would be opened across the State to detect Delta Plus variant,” he said.

“The 40 samples that have been sent to NIMHANS have been collected in Mysuru in the last seven days and as of now, there is no confirmation of Delta Plus variant in Mysuru and people need not panic,” said Deputy Commissioner Dr. Bagadi Gautham. District Health Officer Dr. K.H. Prasad said that the sample of Delta Plus variant was collected in May and as such there is no need to panic. 

The World Health Organisation classifies a variant as one of concern when it is associated with an increase in transmissibility or detrimental change in COVID-19 epidemiology, increase in virulence or change in clinical disease presentation or decrease in the effectiveness of public health and social measures or available diagnostics, vaccines, therapeutics.