Covid-19: India says Delta Plus "variant of concern"

PanARMENIAN.Net - India has declared a new coronavirus variant to be of concern after nearly two dozen cases had been detected across the country so far, Al Jazeera reports.

The variant AY.1, identified locally as Delta Plus and first identified in Europe, has been found in at least 22 cases across Maharashtra, Kerala and Madhya Pradesh states, India’s health ministry said on Tuesday, June 22.

The ministry said Delta Plus showed increased transmissibility and advised the three states to increase testing.

“Based on the recent findings of INSACOG (Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomic Consortia), the health ministry has alerted and advised Maharashtra, Kerala and Madhya Pradesh regarding the Delta Plus variant of Covid-19 found in these states,” a ministry statement said.

The Delta Plus variant has been formed due to a mutation of the Delta strain or B.1.617.2 variant, which was first found in India and believed to be the reason behind a vicious second wave of the virus in the country.

Health experts have warned that the Delta Plus variant may trigger a third Covid-19 wave in India.