Delta strain 50% more infectious: Study

Tribune News Service

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New Delhi, June 4

The Indian Sars-Cov2 Genomic Consortia and the National Centre for Disease Control on Friday showed that B.1.617, the Indian Covid virus variant, recently christened Delta by the WHO, caused the ferocious second wave of the pandemic and is 50 per cent more transmissible than the highly infectious B.1.1.7 UK variant, now called Alpha.

The research, which is being peer reviewed, also noted rising post-Covid vaccination breakthrough infections, although mild, with the Delta variant and called for a concerted global response to fight the mutant.

The study coincided with the UK health authority today reporting that B.1.617 variant had overtaken B.1.1.7, the UK variant first detected in Kent.

Indian researchers said, “Prior infections, high seropositivity and partial vaccination are insufficient impediments to the spread of B.1.617, as seen in Delhi, and strong public health response will be needed globally for its containment.” The research says northern India saw the Covid-19 outbreak with B.1.1.7 in February 2021, followed by regional outbreaks. “Our data indicates that B.1.617.2 shows high transmissibility and surges without any increase in fatality rate,” the study says after sequencing the viruses from Delhi and Punjab.

Lioness dead, 9 test Covid +ve in TN zoo

Chennai: SARS-Cov-2 has claimed the life of a lioness and has infected nine other lions at the Arignar Anna Zoological Park, popularly known as Vandalur Zoo, located here. The Vandalur Zoo said the lioness Neela died around 6.15 pm on Thursday. IANS

Stranded foreigners’ visa extended till Aug 31

In view of non-resumption of scheduled commercial international flights to and from India for the past more than one year, the MHA has decided to extend the Indian visa of foreigners stranded in the country till August 31. TNS