A health worker administers a dose of the COVID-19 vaccine to a beneficiary, in a Mobile Vaccination Van (Center) in Thane.
Covid Delta Plus variant news: Amid concerns over the Delta Plus variant of COVID-19, Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope on Wednesday issued a fresh alert. Tope said 21 cases of the new mutated version of Covid virus have been traced in seven districts of the state.
The minister said that the Delta Plus variant reduces antibodies in the body, adding that the authorities have taken all steps to trace and isolate those affected by the new Covid variant.
"21 cases of Delta Plus variant have been found in 7 districts of the state. This variant reduces antibodies in the body. We are isolating such cases and taking all details like travel history, contact tracing and if they have been vaccinated," Tope said.
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The state health minister further said that no death has been reported in Maharashtra due to Delta Plus variant so far and a number of patients have already recovered.
"We've decided to send the samples for Genomic sequence study. No deaths caused due to Delta Plus variant and some have recovered from this variant. Symptoms and treatment are the same for this variant. No children infected with this variant," Rajesh Tope said.
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Delta variant as well as all Delta sub-lineages including Delta plus have been classified as 'Variant of Concern' (VOC), the Union Health Minuistry has said.
The SARS-CoV-2 virus causing COVID-19 disease is mutating continuously with increase in the number of infections both across the world and in India.
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Mutations help the virus to become either more transmissible or more virulent or both. With time these mutations known as Variants of Interest (VOI) increase in frequency in the selected population and are considered then as VOC.
