ICMR, NIV to Study if Vaccines in India Enough to Neutralise Delta Plus Covid Variant | 24 June, 2021

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the National Institute of Virology (NIV) are set to conduct a study to examine the potency of the ‘Delta Plus‘ variant of Covid-19 in patients. This comes after the Union government found Delta Plus cases in Maharashtra Kerala and in Madhya Pradesh.

“The newly emerged Delta Plus variant has possible increased transmissibility, higher binding capacity to the lung cells and resistance to monoclonal antibody treatment. Looking at this scenario, Delta Plus variant could be a concern, and a high watch should be undertaken and containment of affected zone should be done reduce the transmission,” Dr Pragya Yadav, head of the NIV’s Maximum Containment Facility, told the Mint.

Experts are currently attempting to figure out how this novel variation affects illness development and if it causes severe Covid-19 infection. However, preliminary findings suggest that this novel variation may be resistant to monoclonal antibody cocktail treatments for COVID-19. The therapy, which was recently approved in India, consists of a combination of two drugs: casirivimab and imdevimab.

(Source: News18)