3 deaths in Maharashtra due to Delta Plus variant: What we know so far

Maharashtra has reported three deaths so far due to the Delta Plus variant of the coronavirus from Ratnagiri, Mumbai and Raigad districts. This comes after the Maharashtra health department on Wednesday said that cases of Delta Plus variant have reached 65 in the state.

One death was reported in the Raigad district on Friday due to the Delta Plus variant. The deceased was a 69-year-old man in the Nagothane area of the district, Raigad collector Nidhi Chaudhary was cited as saying news agency ANI.

According to the civic body, Mumbai has recorded its first death due to the Delta Plus variant with a 63-year-old fully vaccinated woman succumbing to it in July. The woman had several comorbidities, including diabetes. She was one of seven patients in the city who recently tested positive for the Delta Plus variant, according to initial information provided by the civic health officials.

Last month, an 80-year-old woman from Maharashtra's Ratnagiri district became the first Covid-19 patient in the state to succumb to the Delta Plus variant.

What do we know so far about the Delta Plus variant?

1. The Delta Plus (AY.1) is a mutation of the highly transmissible Delta variant of Sars-CoV-2 (B.1.617.2). It was detected in Maharashtra during the second wave of coronavirus. The Union health ministry declared it as a variant of concern in July.

2. Amid growing cases of Delta Plus in Maharashtra, which currently stands at 65, medical experts have stressed the need to ramp up the Covid-19 vaccination process.

3. Suchitra Ella, joint managing director of Bharat Biotech, on Thursday said that Covaxin has shown 65 per cent efficacy against the B.1.617.2 or the Delta variant. “Supplied 75 million doses of Covaxin, more to be supplied in August. Our vaccine has 65 per cent efficacy against Delta. Our second site is at its Ankleshwar-based manufacturing plant. Sample batches are ready, it will go to CDL Kasauli this month for quality testing,” news agency ANI quoted Ella as saying.

4. Dr Lancelot Pinto, epidemiologist and pulmonologist of Hinduja Hospital, has said the Delta Plus variant, in addition to having mutations seen in the Delta variant that renders it potentially more transmissible than the Alpha variant. “What experience from across the world has consistently shown us is that when rates of vaccination are high, even if variants cause surges in infections, such infections tend to be of a milder nature and do not cause hospitalisations or deaths on a large scale. We also need to do our best to limit crowds, as overcrowding has consistently led to spread over the past 18 months,” said Dr Pinto.

5. The Maharashtra government has said that out of the newly detected cases of the Delta Plus variant, seven were in Mumbai, three in Pune, two each in Nanded, Gondia, Raigad, Palghar, and one each in Chandrapur and Akola districts.