Pune (Maharashtra): While the second wave of the Coronavirus sweeping the country is frightening, some patients in Maharashtra, Kerala and Madhya Pradesh have now been diagnosed with the new 'Delta Plus' variant. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune have now started studying the effectiveness of vaccines currently being offered in India on this variant. The study will focus on how ineffective the new Covid variant would be when Covaxin and Covishield, which are available in India, are administered to citizens.
According to NIV, research is being done to see if the current vaccines are effective against the 'Delta' variant. The neutralization of the antibodies in citizens who have been vaccinated is being closely studied and the results of the delta variant are expected in the coming weeks. Delta Plus has emerged from the Delta variant which was first detected in India, comprising of the spike protein mutation called K417N. In Maharashtra, of the 7,900 people tested in the last few days, 21 have been diagnosed with the new strain.
Read: ICMR, NIV to study if vaccines in India can neutralise Delta Plus variant of coronavirus
