Bhubaneswar: Delta Plus variant of the coronavirus is not as contagious as it is believed to be, according to Director of Institute of Life Science (ILS) Bhubaneswar, Ajay Parida.
Parida said around 48 Delta Plus mutants have been detected during retrospective genome sequencing in the country so far. Out of this only one has been detected in Deogarh district.
He said the patient from Deogarh had tested positive in April and his sample came to the ILS in the first week of May.
The genome sequencing was conducted in the second week of May and the Delta plus variant was detected. He had already recovered and not infected others, Parida said.
He said during the last two months genome sequencing of over 3000 samples collected from Jharkhand, Bihar, Chhattisgarh and Odisha was conducted but not a single case of Delta Plus variant has been detected.
Parida said the ILS also conducted genome sequences of 1,100 samples collected from all the districts of Odisha but could not detect a single case of the new variant.
Parida said had the new variant been highly infectious it could have infected some others as the virus spreads from human to human.
But, it’s too early to say its impact in the future, the ILS Director appealed to the people not to be panicked about the new strain, get vaccinated and follow Covid appropriate behaviour.
Meanwhile, the state Health Department today sent a team of epidemiologists to Deogarh to observe and examine the health condition of the person who was infected with the Delta Plus variant.
UNI
