India has found around 40 cases of the Delta coronavirus variant carrying a mutation that appears to make it more transmissible and advised states to increase testing.
Context
India has found around 40 cases of the Delta coronavirus variant carrying a mutation that appears to make it more transmissible and advised states to increase testing.
About the Delta Plus
- It is a sub-lineage of the Delta variantfirst detected in India.
- It has acquired the spike protein mutation called K417N which is also found in the Beta variant first identified in South Africa.
- It could make it more transmissible.
- The mutation K417N has been of interest as it is present in the Beta variant (B.1.351 lineage), which was reported to have immune evasion property.
- The K417N was known to reduce the effectiveness of a cocktail of therapeutic monoclonal antibodies.
About the B-1617 variant
- First in India: The B-1617 variant of coronavirus was identified in India.
- Dispersal: This variant can spread more easily than earlier forms of the virus.
- Mutation: It carries a mutation called L452R that affects the virus’s spike protein.
- The L452R mutation changes the part of the spike protein which directly interacts with ACE2.
- The ACE2 molecule is found on the surface of our cells that the virus binds with to get inside.
- It is estimated to be around 20% more transmissible than the earlier form of the coronavirus.
- Vaccine inefficiency: The vast majority of vaccines are based on targeting the spike protein.
- The protein is on the outer surface of the virus and its change makes every time hard for the immune system to detect it.
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Prevalence and need
- Its cases had been found from 11 countries — Britain (36), Canada (1), India (8), Japan (15), Nepal (3), Poland (9), Portugal (22), Russia (1), Switzerland (18), Turkey (1), the United States (83).
- WHO is tracking this variant as part of the Delta variant.
- There is a need to enhance their public health response by focusing on surveillance, enhanced testing, quick contact tracing, and priority vaccination.
Classification of Variants
- In collaboration with a SARS-CoV-2 Interagency Group (SIG), the CDC established 3 classifications for the SARS-CoV-2 variants:
A variant of Interest (VOI)
- It is a variant with specific genetic markers that have been associated with changes to receptor binding, reduced neutralization by antibodies generated against previous infection or vaccination, reduced efficacy of treatments, potential diagnostic impact, or predicted increase in transmissibility or disease severity.
A variant of Concern (VOC)
- A variant for which there is evidence of an increase in transmissibility, more severe disease (e.g., increased hospitalizations or deaths), a significant reduction in neutralization by antibodies generated during previous infection or vaccination, reduced effectiveness of treatments or vaccines, or diagnostic detection failures.
- These variants spread more easily and quickly than other variants, which leads to more cases of COVID-19.
A variant of High Consequence (VOHC)
- A variant of high consequence has clear evidence that prevention measures or medical countermeasures (MCMs) have significantly reduced effectiveness relative to previously circulating variants.
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