Delta Plus is now ‘variant of concern’, three states told to keep a watch

The Union Health Ministry on Tuesday categorised the Delta Plus variant of the novel coronavirus, so far detected in three states in the country, as a ‘variant of concern’ and directed states to take up immediate containment measures in clusters where the variant has been detected.

The decision comes after INSACOG, a consortium of 28 laboratories of the Health Ministry that is involved in genome sequencing, informed the Centre on Tuesday that the Delta Plus variant has three worrying characteristics: increased transmissibility; stronger binding in receptors of lung cells; and potential reduction in monoclonal antibody response.

Delta Plus variant or B.1.617.2.1 is closely related to the Delta variant, a major contributor to the second wave of Covid-19 in India. Like Delta, the Delta Plus variant has mutation in the spike protein region of the RNA virus, which potentially makes it more transmissible.

The WHO classifies a variant as one of concern when it is associated with an increase in transmissibility or detrimental change in Covid-19 epidemiology; increase in virulence or change in clinical disease presentation; or decrease in the effectiveness of public health and social measures or available diagnostics, vaccines, therapeutics.

On Tuesday, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said the Delta Plus variant has been detected in 22 samples across six districts in the country. “In India, Delta Plus variant has been detected in 22 samples. Sixteen of them have found in Jalgaon and Ratnagiri districts in Maharashtra; the remaining have been detected in Kerala (Palakkad and Pathanamthitta) and Madhya Pradesh (Bhopal and Shivpuri)… But we don’t want this to assume significant proportions,” Bhushan said.

He also emphasised that the Delta Plus variant has been detected in nine other countries. “Any variant is classified as a variant of interest or variant of concern on the basis of transmissibility or virulence… Delta Plus variant has been found in nine countries: USA, UK, Portugal, Switzerland, Japan, Poland, Nepal, China, and Russia,” Bhushan said.

On Tuesday, the Health Ministry issued an advisory to the Chief Secretaries of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and Kerala, asking them to take up immediate containment measures, and enhanced testing, tracking and vaccination in districts and clusters where the Delta Plus variant has been detected.

The Ministry has also directed the three states to “promptly” send “adequate samples of positive persons” to designated laboratories of INSACOG so that the “clinical epidemiological correlations can be made”.

“The Union Health Ministry has advised Maharashtra, Kerala, and Madhya Pradesh that the Public Health Response measures, while broadly remaining the same as have been implemented by them earlier, have to become more focused and effective. The States’ Chief Secretaries have been advised to take up immediate containment measures in the districts and clusters (as identified by INSACOG), including preventing crowds & intermingling of people, widespread testing, prompt tracing as well as vaccine coverage on a priority basis,” the Ministry said in a statement.