June 23, 2021: Amid coronavirus pandemic, people across world is now concerned about Delta Plus.

Delta Plus is a form of Delta variant of the novel coronavirus which destroy the antibodies.

The variant is the most contagious among those who are not vaccinated yet. It may trigger serious illness in more people than other variants do, scientists tracking the spread of infection said.

The symptoms of the Delta variant are - headache, sore throat and runny nose. The symptoms caused by the delta variant are differ from the ancestral virus and other mutations.

The first case of Delta variant of COVID-19 was identified in India.

Reportedly, in India, around 40 cases of Delta Plus variant has been registered according to Union Health Ministry.

Till now, most cases have been detected from Maharashtra, Kerala and Madhya Pradesh.

The Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said that the two vaccines - Covishield and Covaxin are effective against the Delta variant.

Scientists from ICMR are working to isolate the Delta Plus variant at its facilities in NIV Pune to test if the newfound strain can be neutralised with Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin.

Sources have indicated that the serum samples from recovered Covid-19 patients will also be used to check the neutralising potential of the antibodies against the Delta Plus variant.

Dr Maria Van Kerkhove of the WHO said, “The Delta variant is of great concern to us because its spreading across the world. We know that there are 92 countries where the Delta variant is circulating, 80 countries have the B1.617.2 and an additional 12 countries have B.167 but they haven't further sub-typed it. We don't know the sub-lineage that is circulating there. This lineage has increased transmissibility more than the Alpha variant (B117).”

On the other hand, a scientific study of Oxford University researchers stated that the covid vaccines made by AstraZeneca and the Pfizer-BioNTech alliance are effective against Delta Plus variant.

“The ability of antibodies in the blood of people, who were vaccinated with the two-shot regimens, to neutralize the highly contagious Delta variants, a statement said.

The Delta variant is becoming the globally dominant version of the disease, the World Health Organization's chief scientist said on Friday.