India has classified the new variant of the coronavirus identified in Europe as a “disturbing variant”, but according to scientists there is not enough evidence that the new variant is more dangerous.
A mutation is initially defined as a “variant of interest” and then a “disturbing variant” if it has at least one of several criteria, including mild transmission, more severe symptoms, less effective than possible Covid or vaccine treatments. .
According to the Ministry of Health in India, studies have shown that the so-called Delta Plus variant – also known as AY.1 – spreads faster and is more resistant to monoclonal antibody therapy, an intravenous infusion of antibodies to neutralize the virus, reports abcnews .co.uk
The variant relates to Delta, a highly contagious and disturbing variant, which was first identified in India last year and is the cause of the second deadly wave in the summer. The health ministry says the Delta Plus variant, first identified in April, was discovered in three regions – Maharashtra, Kerala and Madhya Pradesh.
The Delta Plus has also been discovered in nine other countries – USA, UK, Portugal, Switzerland, Japan, Poland, Nepal, Russia and China – compared to the original Delta type, which has now spread to 80 countries.
Viruses mutate all the time and most of these changes that the virus undergoes can damage it or make the disease more infectious or threatening and it is precisely these mutations that are most prevalent.
But leading virologists have questioned the labeling of Delta Plus as a disturbing variant, saying there is still no evidence to prove that the variant is more contagious compared to other variants.
“We do not yet have enough data to describe the Delta Plus variant as a disturbing variant,” said Dr Gagandeep Kang, a virologist. “We need biological and clinical information in order to understand if it is really a disturbing variant.”
This means that India needs more data to determine whether the variant is neutralized by antibodies generated by available vaccines or infection by another variant of the coronavirus.
Also, a lot of data is needed about increased transmission, problems in diagnosis – routine tests and whether the variant causes more severe symptoms. Hundreds of patients who are ill with this variant should be studied and found out if they are at greater risk compared to the Delta variant, Dr Kang said.
The Delta plus variant contains an additional mutation called K417N in the SPIKE protein of the coronavirus, which was found in the Beta and Gamma variants, variants originally identified in South Africa and Brazil, reports abcnews.al
“Delta Plus may have a slight advantage in infecting and spreading among people who have been infected or have weakened immunity or have not been fully vaccinated,” said one doctor.
Dr Anurag Agarwal, director of the Delhi-based CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Biology (IGIB), one of 28 Indian laboratories, said that “all lines of the Delta variant are disturbing variants”, so there was nothing unusual in labeling Delta Plus as such.
“We have no evidence so far to show that Delta Plus is more contagious. But there is nothing to worry about. “We are following the progress of the variant and are taking all necessary measures,” he said.
Each country must take the necessary measures, the Delta Plus variant is not a concern but we must be vigilant./abcnews.al By Soutik Biswas, BBC
