New Delhi: What is Delta Plus Variant? Should You be Worried? The Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2, which was identified as the reason behind breakthrough infections in the deadly second wave of coronavirus in India, has further mutated to form the ‘Delta plus’ or ‘AY.1’ variant. Also Read – As Himachal Pradesh Unlocks, 5 Hidden Gems in The State to Explore We Bet You Didn’t Know About
What is Delta Plus Variant?
World Health Organisation, last month, tagged B.1.617.2 strain as the ‘Delta’ variant of SARS-CoV-2. Now, the “Delta” variant has further mutated to form the ‘Delta plus’ or ‘AY.1’ variant. Well, according to the reports, the initial data suggests that the Delta plus variant shows signs of resistance against the monoclonal antibody cocktail treatment. This treatment for Covid-19 was recently authorised by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO). However, there is no indication yet of the severity of the infection yet. Also Read – COVID19: Check Latest Travel Guidelines For Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand And Karnataka
Recently, a scientist specialising in genomic sequencing, Bani Jolly said on Twitter, “A small number of sequences of Delta (B.1.617.2) having spike mutation K417N can be found on GISAID. As of today, these sequences have been identified in genomes from 10 countries.” Also Read – Planning to Travel by Train? Indian Railways Will Resume THESE Special Trains From Today | Details Inside
“The sequences have recently been designated as lineage AY.1 (B.1.617.2.1), a sublineage of Delta, due to concerns about K417N being one of the mutations found in the Beta variant (B.1.351),” Jolly added.
There is a very informative thread on the evolution and phylogenetic context of AY.1 by @bani_jolly 👇 https://t.co/UHaW03hYTX
— Vinod Scaria (@vinodscaria) June 14, 2021
Delta Plus Variant – A Cause of Concern in India?
Well, Public Health England, in its latest report on coronavirus variants, said the Delta plus variant was identified in six genomes from India as of June 7. The health agency has confirmed the presence of a total of 63 genomes of the Delta variant with the new K417N mutation.
However, the scientists are of the view that there is no immediate cause for concern in India as the new COVID variant’s incidence in the country is still low.
Vinod Scaria, a scientist at Delhi-based CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (IGIB), said in a tweet on Sunday that, “One of the emerging variants is B.1.617.2.1 also known as AY.1 characterized by the acquisition of K417N mutation.”
He said that the formation of Delta plus variant was the result of a mutation in the spike protein of SARS-COV-2. It is the same spike protein which enables the virus to enter and infect human cells. However, he added, “The variant frequency for K417N is not much in India at this point in time. The sequences are mostly from Europe, Asia and America.”
According to outbreak.info, in fact, the sequences come from a number of countries across the globe other than India, such as the USA, Canada, United Kingdom, Russia, Japan, Portugal, Poland, Turkey, Nepal and Switzerland.
A number of genomes are now available for the lineage AY.1 / B.1.617.2.1 from across the world. The sequences are mostly from Europe, Asia and America. The travel histories are not readily available to make assumptions. pic.twitter.com/CfoOTMNbnG
— Vinod Scaria (@vinodscaria) June 13, 2021
Delta Plus Variant Resisting Monoclonal Antibody Treatment
“One important point to consider regarding K417N is evidence suggesting resistance to monoclonal antibodies Casirivimab and Imdevimab. The antibody cocktail has accidentally received an EUA from the drug controller general in India,” said Dr Scaria.
Plasma From Vaccinated People Should Be Tested Against The New COVID Variant
Director of CSIR-IGIB, pulmonologist Anurag Agarwal, told news agency PTI, “There is no cause of concern due to the new variant in India as of now.”
Agarwal is also a medical researcher and he is of the view that blood plasma from fully vaccinated individuals will have to be tested against the Delta plus variant to determine whether it shows any significant escape from the body’s immune response.
“Understanding this continued evolution is of great importance in mapping the evolutionary landscape of emerging variants. Largely, the virus has tried to optimise for transmission and immune escape by step-wise acquisition of new mutations,” PTI quoted Agarwal.
