New Delhi: 63-year-old fully vaccinated woman in Mumbai was reported dead because of Delta Plus variant of COVID, she was fully vaccinated but had co-morbidities including diabetes. The patient was tested positive on July 21 and died on July 27. The patient was on oxygen support and was also administered steroids and Remdesivir and had no travel history.
What Is Delta Plus Variant Of COVID-19?
The Delta Plus variant is a mutant version of B.1.617.2 strain, which was called Delta by the World Health Organisation. Experts say the Delta strain drove the second wave of COVID-19, infecting millions and leading to the deaths of thousands.
What The Government Says On Delta Plus
This variant was first identified by the health ministry in India in April. Since then, it has slowly spread. So far, over 76 cases of Delta Plus have been reported in Maharashtra alone and across the country the cases are over 80, according to the official data presented by the health ministry.
According to the healthcare experts, there is very little evidence of how virulent the new strain is. Experts in Maharashtra, one of the worst-hit states during the first and second waves, say that owing to the new variant, the third wave may come earlier than predicted.
Also Read: Delta Variant Of COVID-19 May Spread As Easily As Chickenpox, Cause More Severe Infection: Reports
How Dangerous Is The New Delta Plus Variant?
According to an official statement, the Delta Plus Variant has shown:
– Increased transmissibility
– Stronger binding to receptors of lung cells
– Potential reduction in monoclonal antibody response
According to the experts and health officials, Delta Plus variant is known as the variant that may escape immune response that means if a person has antibodies against COVID-19, this variant can still infect the individual with the disease.
So, how should India be looking at this, should it be a cause or worry, can Delta Plus variant affect India’s fight against the virus?
Dr Mahesh Lakhe, Columbia Asia Hospital, said,
First we need to understand the fact that vaccines are not 100 per cent effective. Of course, they are going to reduce the severity of the disease, but these are not foolproof, especially for people who have chronic diseases. So, yes, people can get infected with the virus even when they are fully vaccinated.
Dr Anjan Trikha, AIIMS, Chairperson, Clinical Managerial Group added,
Yes, these developments are worrisome. But we knew about this fact from day one of our fight against coronavirus. In the past also, we had few patients who lost their life because of COVID even when they were fully vaccinated. Mutations will continue to happen every day, every month and one may get infected with the mutated virus, which will be more severe than the classic version. It should come as an eye opener for general public, and they should know that getting both the jabs doesn’t mean they are 100 per cent protected. They still need to be careful and be safe and they just cannot stop following all the COVID appropriate precautions.
Also Read: COVID-19 Infections Rise, Delta Variant Spreads To 132 Countries: WHO
He further said that we still don’t know much about the Delta, Delta Plus or all the other variants that are there out in the world. Dr Trikha added,
We don’t know what these variants will do to the patients after one year, more research is definitely needed and is happening, we will get to know about these variants in details in few months.
Highlighting about Delta Plus variant which might have started to transmit locally, Dr Mahesh Lakhe said,
I think, to say this, we will need more studies and research on the same. The same pattern was seen when Delta cases were beginning to be reported in India and few months down the line, we got to know that it is one of the major strains of COVID-19, which has been transmitted across the world. The bottom line here is that till the time we have the virus in the air, these strains will continue to happen, and we cannot predict how deadly or non-deadly these will be.
NDTV – Dettol Banega Swasth India campaign is an extension of the five-year-old Banega Swachh India initiative helmed by Campaign Ambassador Amitabh Bachchan. It aims to spread awareness about critical health issues facing the country. In wake of the current COVID-19 pandemic, the need for WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) is reaffirmed as handwashing is one of the ways to prevent Coronavirus infection and other diseases. The campaign highlights the importance of nutrition and healthcare for women and children to prevent maternal and child mortality, fight malnutrition, stunting, wasting, anaemia and disease prevention through vaccines. Importance of programmes like Public Distribution System (PDS), Mid-day Meal Scheme, POSHAN Abhiyan and the role of Aganwadis and ASHA workers are also covered. Only a Swachh or clean India where toilets are used and open defecation free (ODF) status achieved as part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014, can eradicate diseases like diahorrea and become a Swasth or healthy India. The campaign will continue to cover issues like air pollution, waste management, plastic ban, manual scavenging and sanitation workers and menstrual hygiene.
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