Health care experts warn that the new delta plus variant may trigger a third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. A fresh addition has been made to the list of variants in the COVID-19 pandemic known as the delta plus variant.
As of now, this variant is not a cause of concern in India. However, health experts in Maharashtra have voiced their concern that this very variant may usher in a third wave of the pandemic. If appropriate measures are not taken beforehand, the situation will only worsen.
On 16 May, the state task force of Maharashtra expressed their concerns to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray in a meeting. They claimed that the third wave might take up the number of active Covid cases to 8 lakhs, with 10% being children.
The meeting was held to discuss all the major scenarios and tactics in case a fresh wave hits the country.
“The Delta plus variant could stoke the third wave in Maharashtra. It could spread at double the rate,” said one of the officials during the meeting.
The state has already recorded nearly 19 lakh cases in the first wave and 40 lakh cases in the second wave of the pandemic. 22 April recorded the highest number of daily cases — 6,99,858 cases.
If the third wave triggered by the delta plus variant hits the country, the figure of active cases will be a cause of immense concern, given that half of the population will be fully vaccinated at the time.
The health experts warn that the third wave may start within the next two to four weeks if the current scenario of crowding continues.
CM Thackeray has already ordered the senior doctors in the state to ensure that all medicines and health equipment like PPE kits and other things are available in adequate amounts across both the rural and urban areas of the state.
He has also ensured that the supply of vaccinations would increase. The CM stated that the country would be receiving 42 crore doses of COVID-19 vaccinations by August-September. This influx of vaccines will benefit Maharashtra, ensuring a sufficient supply of vaccinations across the state. Along with these measures, he also stressed upon the importance of social distancing and RT-PCR tests.
The very first case of the delta plus variant has been reported in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. The patient is a 65-year-old female who had been fully vaccinated; currently, her vitals are stable.
The delta plus variant is a mutation of the delta variant. It is a cause of great concern to health experts across the globe. This variant is believed to be more harmful as compared to the other variants. Studies reveal that it showed no reaction to monoclonal antibody therapy, which is rather worrying.
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