New Delhi: India reported 53,256 fresh infections in the past 24 hours. This took the cumulative count of infections to 2,97,95,968, stated the Union Health Ministry. The new Variant “Delta Plus” could become a “variant of concern” if unchecked, said AIIMS Chief Dr Randeep Guleria.
Daily recoveries continue to outnumber the daily new cases for the 39th consecutive day. 78,190 patients recovered over the last 24 hours; as the recovery rate stands at 96.36 per cent.
Daily positivity rate at 3.83%, less than 5% for 14 consecutive days. The cumulative recovery count rose to 2,88,44.199.
The active cases, which now comprise 2.35 per cent of the total infections, further reduced to 7,02,887, according to the MoHFW. A net decline of 26,356 cases has been recorded in the COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours. However, the mortality rate recorded at 1.30 per cent reported 1,422 deaths, taking the cumulative death toll to 3,88,135.
Delta Plus variant, a mutated version of the more aggressive B.1.617.2 strain that drove the second wave of infections in India, is undergoing an additional mutation called K417N which could become a “variant of concern” if unchecked, said AIIMS Chief Dr Randeep Guleria.
What is the Delta Plus variant?
The new Delta plus variant (B.1.617.2.1 or AY.1) has been formed due to a mutation in the Delta, or B.1.617.2, variant. Delta plus has a K417N mutation, alongside the earlier Delta mutation in N501Y. What has researchers concerned is that these two mutations could make the virus more transmissible as well as help it evade human-made antibodies such as Casirivimab and Imdevimab, which are the mark of monoclonal antibody cocktails currently under emergency use for Covid treatment in India.