What is the Delta Plus variant of the coronavirus

It has the characteristics of Delta plus a mutation of its own beta (the South African variant). It could be more contagious, lethal and resistant to monoclonal antibodies, but these are still hypotheses to be confirmed. What we know and in which countries it has already been tracked

(photo: Pete Linforth via Pixabay) There is not only the delta variant. A new changed form of the Delta has recently been identified, called for this Delta Plus, in acronym AY.1. This turns out to bind more easily to lung cells and to be more contagious even than delta. Discovered for the first time in India in April 2021, this variant has been detected in this country in a few dozen cases but is also present in 9 other countries, according to a BBC article, including the United Kingdom and the States. United.

Delta Plus, the situation today

Delta Plus - identified in India in April - was first reported in a June 11 Public Health England bulletin. Currently it has been registered in India in about 40 samples in six districts belonging to three states - Maharashtra, Kerala and Madhya Pradesh. The most affected state for now is Maharashtra, with at least 16 cases. If the delta variant is present in at least 80 countries around the world, the delta plus is already in 9 countries, which are: United States, United Kingdom, Portugal, Switzerland, Japan, Poland, Nepal, Russia and China.

What we know about the Delta Plus variant

It is a subtype of the Delta variant, which has acquired a mutation - called K417N - of the coronavirus spike protein present in the beta variant (perhaps better known as a South African). The Indian Ministry of Health explained that the Delta Plus variant could spread more easily, sneak more easily into the lungs and could resist monoclonal antibody therapies. The hypothesis of the scientists is that the characteristics of the delta, combined with the mutation of the beta, can make it more transmissible. "The K417N mutation fell into the category of variants of interest since it is present in the beta variant," writes the Indian Ministry of Health in a note reported by Reuters, "which has been shown to have the ability to evade the immune response."

Variant of interest or concern?

For some time now the World Health Organization and other international bodies have adopted a new classification of the danger of the new variants of Sars-Cov-2, which provides three criteria or levels. There are so-called variants of interest, those of concern and those with significant consequences. In general, any new variant, to be included in this group, would have to be more contagious or dangerous than the previous ones. From the previous description it would seem that Delta Plus is one of the variants that worry. However, some scientists indicate that we still have little data to say this. "There is not yet enough data to support the request to include the variant among those of concern," said Gagandeep Kang, virologist and first Indian woman to be elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of London, in the article on the BBC. "It is necessary to have biological and clinical information to consider that a variant can really belong to this category". In short, we will have to wait a while to understand the real impact, in terms of contagiousness and damage to health, of this new variant.

A recap on the Delta variant

On the Delta variant, however, we have some more information, since - unfortunately - it is already more widespread. Initially called Indian, this is more contagious and could be associated with more severe forms of Covid-19 and a different time course with respect to the onset of symptoms and the development of the disease. In the UK this form is prevalent and affects the vast majority of cases. The European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (Ecdc) estimates that by the end of the summer this variant will affect 90% of infections in Europe, and in Italy its spread is equal to 9% (according to data from the center Ceinge-Biotecnologie of 16 June).


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Topics

Coronavirus Europe India Variants Sars-Cov-2 globalData.fldTopic = "Coronavirus, Europe, India, Variants Sars-Cov-2"

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