Maharashtra’s Delta Plus cases surge to 45, from 21 in June

The highest number of cases has been recorded in Jalgaon, followed by Ratnagiri and Mumbai, among others

Amid the relaxation of Covid-19 restrictions, the number of Delta Plus cases has surged to 45, from 21 in June.

A BMC health worker collects swab samples for Covid-19 test of passengers arriving from outstation trains at CSMT station, in Mumbai, India, on Monday. (HT PHOTO)

The highest number of cases has been recorded in Jalgaon, followed by Ratnagiri and Mumbai, among others. The variant has also been identified among young adults below 18 years. Almost 80% of the samples sent for the sequencing has tested positive for the Delta variant. However, public health officers have observed no significant surge of the variant in these districts.

The Delta Plus (AY.1) is a mutation of the highly transmissible Delta variant of Sars-CoV-2 (B.1.617.2) and detected in the state during the second wave. In June, the Union health ministry declared it as the variant of concern.

As per the recent data provided by the state health department, Jalgaon has recorded 13 cases, Ratnagiri 11, Mumbai 6, Thane 5, Pune 3 and one each in Palghar, Beed, Aurangabad, Sindhudurg, Nandurbar, Akola and Sangli.

In the second wave which started in the middle of February, medical experts observed higher infection rate compared to the first wave. Since then, on a monthly basis, the public health department has been sending samples for genome sequencing. “So far, we have sent more than 8,000 samples for genome sequencing. Although the positivity rate of the Delta Plus variant is below 0.05%, almost 80% of the samples have tested positive for the variant,” said Dr Awate.

In the 42-60 age group, 14 patients have been identified. Also, five patients above 60 years of age have contracted the variant.

Genome sequencing is an exercise to study the changes in the structure of the virus over time. A combination of changes in the ribonucleic acid of the virus can give birth to a new variant. The samples from the state are sent for genome sequencing to the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (CSIR-IGIB). “We have sent more than 8,000 samples for genome sequencing. Though the positivity rate of the Delta Plus variant is below 1%, almost 80% of the samples have tested positive for the Delta variant,” said Dr Awate.

However, there is a silver lining as medical experts haven’t observed any sudden surge in Delta Plus variants in the districts like Palghar, Thane, Sindhudurg, Mumbai, among others, where the variant has been recorded.

“The variant has already spread to over 80 countries across the world, including the United Kingdom, United States of America, Singapore and southern China. It’s more transmissible and causes group infections. But so far, we haven’t observed any major spike in Delta Plus cases in any districts,” said Dr Subhas Salunke, state advisor to Covid-19 treatment. “So, it is essential that people get fully vaccinated and keep following Covid-19 appropriate behaviour. Keep wearing masks and before travelling, get fully vaccinated,” he added.