With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today.
India Says New 'Delta Plus' Coronavirus Variant May Be More Transmissible
Listen
2:15
Listen to the Story
India has detected over 40 cases of a new coronavirus variant called "Delta Plus," which may be more transmissible and resistant to COVID-19 treatments.
AILSA CHANG, HOST:
India confirmed about 50,000 new coronavirus infections today. That is a fraction of what it was seeing at its peak last month. So it looks like the world's biggest and deadliest COVID-19 wave may now be easing, but there is something new that could threaten that progress in India, as NPR's Lauren Frayer reports.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
UNIDENTIFIED JOURNALIST: We're cutting across to breaking news that's coming in, worrying news of the Delta plus variant being detected now...
Sponsored message
LAUREN FRAYER, BYLINE: A mutated new form of the coronavirus's Delta variant first discovered in India. They're calling it Delta plus. Viruses mutate all the time, and not all variants are worrying. But the Indian government has classified this one as a variant of concern. Its genetic sequence suggests it may be even more contagious than the original Delta variant, and it shows an ability to outwit some of the body's immune response. Dr. Vineeta Bal is an immunologist at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research in Pune.
VINEETA BAL: The fear in everybody's mind is that now there is a further mutation and it might again take us towards another wave.
FRAYER: But it's too soon to know that, Bal says. India has ramped up sequencing of coronavirus samples. It can't this variant relatively early. Only about 40 cases have been detected in India so far. But it's also turned up in nine other countries, including the United States. So it's unclear where it originated.
SUNEELA GARG: From where did it come? But the fact is it is there.
FRAYER: Dr. Suneela Garg is a virologist and adviser to the Indian Council of Medical Research, which is like India's CDC. Garg says scientists are studying how effective vaccines will be against this variant, but only about 4% of Indians are fully vaccinated anyway. So Garg says...
GARG: We have to again go back to our basics, wearing our masks and testing, treating and tracking.
FRAYER: She says even as lockdowns are lifted across India, people cannot let their guard down. The Indian government has advised three states in particular where Delta plus has been detected to increase testing, contact tracing and vaccinations.
Sponsored message
Lauren Frayer, NPR News. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
