Amid concerns of Covid new mutant variant causing a possible third wave, one of India\u2019s genome sequencers has said there is no evidence that suggests the Delta plus variant has anything to do with the third wave while advising caution against lowering the guard on the second wave itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dr Anurag Agarwal, Director of the Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (IGIB), said his institute has sequenced more than 3,500 samples from Maharashtra in the month of June, covering samples from April and May. And it was found that these (Delta Plus variants) are very much there, which constitute less than one per cent. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
So far, over 40 cases of the new Delta plus strain, termed as Variant of Concern(VOC) have been detected across the country. Even in areas where the numbers are high, Mr Agarwal assured that they are not very high, things look stable. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, it was clarified that any Delta remains a variant of concern.So what I mean when I say that we must not be very concerned is that for any Delta that exists anywhere in India today, we must be concerned about the second wave not ending, before we worry about the third wave, he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But I certainly do not see any reason right now for people to panic regarding Delta Plus being significantly worse than Delta or creating a major third wave.There is absolutely no evidence for that, he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology is an institution under the aegis of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research.<\/p>\n\n\n\n