Two more Delta-plus cases have been reported in the city in the second week of July, according to the public health department of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation. With this, the count of such cases in the state has gone up to 23. Civic officials said that the two healthcare workers who were found infected by this variant had subsequently recovered and are currently stable.
BMC Executive Health Officer Dr Mangala Gomare said that two female healthcare workers, aged 28 and 57, were infected by Delta-plus variant. Their samples had been sent for genome sequencing to the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune, after they tested positive for coronavirus.
“The 28-year-old HCW tested Covid-positive on June 28, with mild symptoms and had not been vaccinated. As for the 57-year-old HCW, she was asymptomatic and had taken two doses of Covishield. Both patients had to be hospitalised; however, no oxygen was required in either case. They responded well to treatment and survived. Neither of them had a travel history,” she explained.
Dr Gomare further said that a survey was done in the locality and a follow-up of the patients done to check for any recurrence of symptoms. The samples of four contacts who were detected positive have been sent for whole genome sequencing and the results are awaited.
Additional Municipal Commissioner Suresh Kakani said all the necessary steps to curb the spread of the virus were being taken after the delta-plus variant was found in the Mumbai sample sent to the National Institute of Virology (NIV) and CSIR-IGIB.
“We have been regularly ending samples for genome sequencing. Now, we have increased the number of samples from the earlier 50, to 100 per week. Genome sequencing will help us better understand the disease with regard to its progression, severity, transmissibility and therapeutics,” he said.
Health experts said it will be difficult to handle the third wave if reports are delayed. A senior health official said there was a need to speed up genome sequencing, as all districts were depending on NIV for results. The state government needs to come up with an alternative, said a health expert.
Dr Harish Chafle, senior consultant for pulmonology and critical care, Global Hospitals in Parel, said the Delta-plus variant is 60-65 per cent more virulent than the delta variant, which was responsible for the second wave. But this did not mean that the Delta-plus variant would necessarily drive the third wave. “It is essential to cover our mouths and noses and follow a constant hand-cleaning regimen more vigilantly now, as the increased virulence of the Delta-plus variant could also infect people who are vaccinated,” he said.
