While the emergence of a new Delta Plus variant of coronavirus in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Kerala is a cause for concern, a top expert has pointed out that these constitute less than 1% of the cases and cannot be seen as triggering a third Covid wave in the country.
Dr Anurag Agarwal, Director of India’s Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (IGIB) said, "At this point, there is no evidence to suggest that Delta Plus has anything to do with a possible third wave," Dr Agarwal told NDTV.
"My institute has sequenced more than 3,500 samples from Maharashtra in the month of June, covering samples from April and May. We can see that these (Delta Plus variants) are very much there. But these would constitute less than one per cent," he said in an interview with NDTV.
Also read: India must learn from UK experience on new Delta Plus variant of virus, says AIIMS chief
"I certainly do not see any reason right now for people to panic regarding Delta Plus being significantly worse than Delta or creating a major third wave…There is absolutely no evidence for that," Dr Agarwal said.
"We must be concerned about the second wave not ending, before we worry about the third wave," he said.
The new Delta plus mutation of the coronavirus has surfaced in nine countries including India, the government said on Tuesday.
Five cases of the Delta Plus variant have emerged in Madhya Pradesh out of which four patients who were vaccinated have recovered while one died, the state health minister said. Around 21 cases of Delta Plus strain have also been detected in Maharashtra mainly in the Ratnagiri and Jalgaon districts, two of these cases were in Mumbai, according to Maharashtra health minister Rajesh Tope told journalists. Kerala is another state in which some cases have been found.
"The Centre has sent an advisory to these states about their public health response. We don't want this small number to take a bigger form," said VK Paul, the head of the National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration.
Dr Paul said the Delta Plus was now in the US, UK, Portugal, Switzerland, Japan, Poland, Russia and China besides India. "Right now it is a variant of interest, not a variant of concern," he said. The Delta variant, the origin of this mutation, is in 80 countries, he added.
The government said while the two vaccines being used in India, Serum Institute of India's Covishield and Bharat Biotech's Covaxin, are effective against Delta variant, it would soon give data on Delta Plus.
"We will share more information with you shortly," said Rajesh Bhushan, Union Health Secretary.
