Delta Plus fear: Samples of 60 Covid patients in Indore sent for genome sequencing
Premium- So far, eight cases of the Delta Plus variant have been detected in MP
Amid rising Delta Plus cases, more and more samples are being sent for genome sequencing. On Sunday, it was reported that samples of 60 Covid patients from Madhya Pradesh's Indore district had been sent to Delhi for genome sequencing.
So far, eight cases of the Delta Plus variant have been detected in MP.
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"We have sent samples of 60 infected persons to the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) in two slots for genome sequencing," Dr Sanjay Dixit, dean of the government-run Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical College, told PTI.
Dixit said that so far no case of Delta Plus variant had been found in the district.
He, however, said the genome sequencing is aimed at finding out the type of the variant.
So far, Indore has recorded 1.52 lakh infections cases and 1,390 deaths.
Earlier, Madhya Pradesh Medical Education Minister Vishvas Sarang had said that at least eight cases of Delta Plus variant had been found in the state. Of them, two patients - one each at Ujjain and Ashok Nagar districts - have died, officials said.
Delta Plus cases in India
So far, 51 cases of Delta Plus have been detected across 12 states, with highest number of infections in Maharashtra. Delta Plus, mutated variant of Delta, was identified on June 11. Recently, the Centre classified it as a Variant of Concern (VoC).
On Sunday, Dr N K Arora, head of Covid working group NTAGI, said that the Delta plus variant has greater affinity to lung tissues as compared to other strains but it does not mean that it will cause severe disease or is more transmissible.
"Delta plus is having greater affinity to mucosal lining in the lungs, higher compared to other variants, but if it causes damage or not is not clear yet. It also does not mean that this variant will cause more severe disease or it is more transmissible," Arora told news agency PTI.
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