On Tuesday, The Centre announced the dangerous Delta plus variant as a  ‘variant of concern’ just hours after Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan and chairman, National Empowered Group on Vaccination V.K. Paul said it was only a ‘variant of interest (VoI)’.

The actual variant of concern (VoC) carries the highest threat perception of a coronavirus variant, which is characterized by increased infectivity, transmissibility, or resistance to vaccines and treatment. A VoI is a degree lower.

As of June 14, The World Health Organisation has classified the variant ‘delta’ (B.1.617.2) as well as offshoots — AY.1 and AY.2 — as VoC.

Delta plus, as the variant is sometimes referred to, is an informal name.

So far there are only four international VoC (alpha, beta, gamma, and delta) with the off-shoots, AY.1 and AY.2 classified as off-shoots of Delta.

“Delta variant is a Variant of Concern and has been found in 80 countries. Delta plus is in 9 countries and as of now is in the category of a variant of interest and is not yet in the variant of concern category,” said Bhushan at the weekly press briefing on Tuesday.

However, in a press statement, the Ministry first referred to it as a ‘variant of concern’ then issued a correction calling it a ‘variant of interest’ and then again reverted to calling it a ‘variant of concern’.

Meanwhile, The Union Health Ministry has advised Maharashtra, Kerala, and MP regarding the Delta Plus COVID-19 variant detected in some districts of these states, the government said on Tuesday.

The variant has been found in genome sequenced samples from Maharashtra`s Ratnagiri and Jalgaon districts, Kerala`s Palakkad and Pathanamthitta districts, and MP`s Bhopal and Shivpuri districts, it added.

Though a record 8.8 million vaccines administered on Monday only 46% were administered to women. This “gender imbalance” needed to be corrected in the days ahead, said Dr. Paul.

If You Like This Story, Support NYOOOZ

NYOOOZ SUPPORTER

₹ 10 - ₹ 1000

NYOOOZ FRIEND

₹ 2000 - ₹ 5000

Your support to NYOOOZ will help us to continue create and publish news for and from smaller cities, which also need equal voice as much as citizens living in bigger cities have through mainstream media organizations.