In India, where the speed of the second wave of the corona epidemic seems to be slowing down, cases of delta variant of this virus are continuously coming to the fore. Let us tell you that the World Health Organization has included it in the list of variants of concern. However, India does not believe so. Recently, NITI Aayog member Dr. VK Paul had said that the government is constantly monitoring its possible presence in the country. He also said that all necessary measures are being taken expeditiously to prevent the epidemic.
Let us tell you that the Delta variant is also known as AY.1 variant or B.1.617.2.1. There has also been a change in the Delta variant, which has come out as the Delta Plus. According to the National Center for Disease Control, cases of this variant have been reported in Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh. According to NCDC, INSACOG (Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomic Consortia) is engaged in getting information about this. NCDC also says that this variant had appeared in Europe only in March but its presence among the people has been seen in June.
Talking about its presence in various states of the country, till June 21, 2021, around 21 cases of Delta Plus variant were reported in Maharashtra. Of these, 9 cases were reported in Jalgaon, 7 cases in Mumbai, and one case each in Sindhudurg, Thane, and Palghar. Given this, the government has taken about 100 samples from every district, which will be sent to CSIR for further investigation. These samples will also be sent to the Institute of Genomic Integrative Biology for their genome sequencing. Since May, the government has taken 7500 samples in this way so far, out of which only 21 have got this variant. Its first case in the state was reported in Ratnagiri in May. In the investigation of 50 samples taken from here, this variant was found in three.
Similarly, in Kerala so far, the government has confirmed the presence of delta plus variant in the samples taken from Palakkad and Pathanamth districts. The government is also taking necessary measures in these districts regarding this. According to PTI, it has been found in two people in the Palakkad district and one in Pathanamth. Here it has been found during the investigation of a four-year-old child. The government had sent all these samples to CSIR and IGIB.
So far five cases have been reported in Madhya Pradesh. According to the State Health Minister, one of them has died while the other four have been given the vaccine and are healthy. Its first case in the state was found in a 65-year-old woman in Bhopal. This woman has now recovered from the infection of Kovid-19. This woman has been given both doses of the vaccine. On May 23, the sample of this woman was taken by the National Center for Disease Control. On June 16, there was news of this woman being positive with this variant. Its other four cases have been reported from Shivpuri.
A report released by the Ministry of Health, Government of Tamil Nadu said that the delta variant was the biggest reason for the increase in cases during the second wave of the epidemic in the state. According to government data, about 554 tests were conducted between December 2020 and May 2021, out of which 386 showed the presence of the Delta variant. The alpha variant has also been found in some people. Those tested included about 96 children below the age of 12, of whom 76 were diagnosed with the variant.
Talking about Punjab, from here between January and May 2021, about 2213 samples were sent to NCDC and CSIR for testing. Out of this, delta variant was reported in about 1022 during investigation in 1164 samples.