Not much data to suggest Delta Plus variant more infectious, says AIIMS chief Randeep Guleria

AIIMS chief Dr Randeep Guleria said, “There isn't much data on Delta plus variant to suggest it's more infectious, causing more deaths, or has developed significant immune escape mechanism."

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New Delhi: Addressing concerns about the Delta Plus variant, labelled variant of concern, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) director Dr Randeep Guleria said that there is not much data to suggest that this new Delta strain is more infectious, leads to more fatalities or has developed immune escape mechanism, ANI reported. 

Reiterating strict adherence to COVID-19 protocols, he said, “There isn't much data on Delta plus variant to suggest it's more infectious, causing more deaths, or has developed significant immune escape mechanism. But if we follow COVID appropriate behaviour, we'll be safe against any of emerging variants.” 

More data is needed on mixing of doses, studies show that it may be effective and a little more side effects may be there. But we need more data before we can say that this is a policy that should be tried: Dr. Randeep Guleria, AIIMS Director

— ANI (@ANI) July 1, 2021

The Delta Plus variant is a mutated form of the Delta variant of coronavirus, which caused the disastrous second wave in India. 

Further, Guleria said that more data is required on mixing doses of two different vaccines before it can be recommended. 

“More data is needed on mixing of doses, studies show that it may be effective and a little more side effects may be there. But we need more data before we can say that this is a policy that should be tried,” the AIIMS chief added. 

Meanwhile, National Institute of Health (NIH) in the United States found that Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin generates antibodies that effectively neutralize both Alpha and Delta variants of COVID-19. 

On Friday (June 25), the Centre had informed that 51 cases of the Delta Plus variant of coronavirus have been detected in 45,000 samples sequenced so far in the country. Out of the total cases, nine were identified in Tamil Nadu, 22 cases in Maharashtra, seven in Madhya Pradesh, three in Kerala, two each in Punjab and Gujarat, and one each in Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan, Jammu and Kashmir, Haryana and Karnataka. 

(With agency inputs)