Dödligt virus från Kina orsakar panik (SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19)

Den form av deltavarianten av coronaviruset som kallas delta plus klassas nu som oroande i Indien efter att 22 fall upptäckts i tre delstater, rapporterar BBC.

Enligt det indiska hälsodepartementet ska studier ha visat att delta plus-varianten sprids lättare och lättare binder sig till lungcellerna än deltavarianten som har kommit att bli dominerande i exempelvis Storbritannien.

A mutation is elevated from a "variant of interest" to a "variant of concern" (VOC) when it shows evidence of fulfilling at least one of several criteria, including easy transmission, more severe illness, reduced neutralisation by antibodies or reduced effectiveness of treatment and vaccines.

India's health ministry says studies showed that the so-called Delta plus variant - also known as AY.1 - spreads more easily, binds more easily to lung cells and is potentially resistant to monoclonal antibody therapy, a potent intravenous infusion of antibodies to neutralise the virus.

The health ministry says the Delta plus variant, first found in India in April, has been detected in around 40 samples from six districts in three states - Maharashtra, Kerala and Madhya Pradesh. At least 16 of these samples were found in Maharashtra, one of the states hardest hit by the pandemic.


Delta plus has also been found in nine other countries - USA, UK, Portugal, Switzerland, Japan, Poland, Nepal, Russia and China - compared to the original highly contagious Delta strain, which has now spread to 80 countries.

Den form av deltavarianten av coronaviruset som kallas delta plus klassas nu som oroande i Indien efter att 22 fall upptäckts i tre delstater, rapporterar BBC.

Enligt det indiska hälsodepartementet ska studier ha visat att delta plus-varianten sprids lättare och lättare binder sig till lungcellerna än deltavarianten som har kommit att bli dominerande i exempelvis Storbritannien.

A mutation is elevated from a "variant of interest" to a "variant of concern" (VOC) when it shows evidence of fulfilling at least one of several criteria, including easy transmission, more severe illness, reduced neutralisation by antibodies or reduced effectiveness of treatment and vaccines.

India's health ministry says studies showed that the so-called Delta plus variant - also known as AY.1 - spreads more easily, binds more easily to lung cells and is potentially resistant to monoclonal antibody therapy, a potent intravenous infusion of antibodies to neutralise the virus.

The health ministry says the Delta plus variant, first found in India in April, has been detected in around 40 samples from six districts in three states - Maharashtra, Kerala and Madhya Pradesh. At least 16 of these samples were found in Maharashtra, one of the states hardest hit by the pandemic.


Delta plus has also been found in nine other countries - USA, UK, Portugal, Switzerland, Japan, Poland, Nepal, Russia and China - compared to the original highly contagious Delta strain, which has now spread to 80 countries.