The existing Covid-19 vaccines have showed reduced signs of efficacy against the Delta variant of coronavirus, which was first detected in India, said World Health Organization (WHO) epidemiologist.
WHO chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan had earlier said that B.1.617.2 Delta variant is becoming the dominant variant globally because of its increased transmissibility. It was first detected in India around October 2020.
The recently detected Delta variant has been formed due to a mutation in the Delta or B.1.617.2 variant, first identified in India and considered to be the reason behind the deadly second wave in the country and also in several others including the UK. The variant is highly transmissible of the virus and it is listed as the fourth variant of concern by the WHO. It also poses a threat to the UK where the daily cases have shot up to more than 10,000 again.
One of India’s top virologists and former member of the INSACOG, Prof Shahid Jameel fears the Delta Plus variant may be capable of evading both immunities from Covid vaccination as well as immunity generated by earlier infections.
“It’s well-established that the Beta variant of concern evades vaccines much better than the Alpha variant or even the Delta variant,” he said. This is evidenced by the fact that the South African government had returned a consignment of AstraZeneca vaccines, claiming that it was ineffective against the variant there.
On the other hand, three states – Maharashtra, Kerala and Madhya Pradesh – are reporting cases of the delta plus variant in the country.
The first case of Delta plus variant in India was reported in a 65-year-old woman from Madhya Pradesh’s capital Bhopal, who had recovered from Covid-19 under home isolation and was also administered two doses of the vaccine. Her samples were collected on May 23 and reports from the National Central for Disease Control (NCDC) on June 16 stated she tested positive for the variant.
However, state medical education minister Vishwas Sarang said on June 17 that a woman tested positive for a ‘different variant’ and refused to give details.
