Delta Plus: US Grapples With Delta Variant, India Raises Alarm Over New COVID Strain Mutated From It

CBS News, By Arshad R. Zargar, June 25, 2021. - Edited.

New Delhi- Doctors and epidemiologists are closely monitoring the rise of yet another coronavirus variant that has been detected in almost a dozen countries, including the U.S. Concern that the so-called Delta Plus variant- a mutation of the now-widespread Delta strain first detected in India- could be more infectious and cause more significant health problems than other variants prompted Indian officials this week to label it a "variant of concern."

But while the variant's fast spread, and India's painful experience with the original Delta strain, have raised alarm there, epidemiologists say much more data is needed before broader cautions are issued around the world about it. Delta Plus cases are mounting fast in India, but the strain has also been detected in the U.S., U.K., China, Japan, Russia, Portugal, Switzerland, & Poland. On Tuesday, India labelled Delta Plus (or B.1.617.2.1) an official Variant of Concern & asked 3 states to increase vigilance & screening for the strain. More than 40 cases of Delta Plus have been found so far in those states. At least one of them, in an unvaccinated patient, was fatal.

Indian labs involved in genome sequencing to identify & track the spread of various coronavirus variants told the government that Delta Plus appears to have 3 worrying characteristics: Increased transmissibility; more capacity to attack lung cells; & a potential reduction in monoclonal antibody response- or, put simply, possible resistance to vaccines & immunity gained through previous infection. Experts caution that with such low numbers, far more data & research are needed to determine whether the new variant is really more daunting than the Delta strain.

The Delta variant is already causing significant concern in the U.S. & elsewhere as it does appear to spread far more easily than previous strains. The vaccines in use do seem to be effective against the original Delta variant, but Dr. Scott Gottlieb, former commissioner of the FDA, told CBS' "Face the Nation" that it's likely to become the dominant source of new infections in the U.S. & could lead to new outbreaks in the fall, with unvaccinated Americans being most at risk...

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https://www.cbsnews.com/news/delta-plus-covid-variant-india-strain/
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- Also: CNN, 'There are at least 200 known cases of the Delta Plus coronavirus variant worldwide. Here's what we know.' June 25, 2021. + Videos.
https://www.cnn.com/2021/06/25/health/delta-plus-variant-explainer-intl-hnk-scn/index.html



- People receive COVID-19 shots during vaccination drive, Mumbai, India, June 21, 2021.