ICMR experts say, “Too early to predict if Delta Plus will contribute to third wave”

It is too early to say whether Delta Plus, labelled as a “variant of concern”, will be responsible for a third wave of coronavirus, which according to experts will depend on several other factors, as reported by news agency ANI. The Delta Plus is the new mutant version of the Delta strain of COVID-19 first detected in India.

Highlighting that there is still no concern for the third wave of COVID-19, Dr Sumit Aggarwal, Scientist and Program Officer, Division of Epidemiology and Communicable disease, Indian Council of Medical Research, told ANI, that “it’s too early to predict the third wave, third wave depends on many other factors.”

Dr Aggarwal said, “It’s a normal tendency of a every mRNA virus that mutation will happen. These mutations are inevitable, we cannot control the mutation. So, as the time progresses, we will proceed further. So there will be a variation. Initially there was alpha, then delta and now delta plus.”

He also said that in future more mutations can be seen and this virus is a ‘variant of concern’.

“So, now in future we may see more mutations. Yes, definitely it’s a new virus and MoHFW has also released a statement that this is a virus of concern because this is a new variant and we have started the studies. We confirmed 40 cases of Delta plus variant in three states are involved, Maharashtra, Kerala and Madhya Pradesh.

“There are three characters of the variant which we have recognised till now. High transmissibility, it shows high affinity towards the lung cells and less response to the monoclonal antibodies therapy,” Dr Sumit added.

Recently identified Delta Plus by experts is said to be more infectious. Currently, several studies are underway on the mutant variant.