Global impact of delta plus variant and vaccination
Vivek P. Chavda, Vasso Apostolopoulos
Abstract
The "severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)" variant strains identified in India consist of three main lineages ("double mutant" variant): Kappa variant, Delta variant, and B.1.618. It is believed that the delta variant lacks the 484K/Q mutation, which has now been related to vaccination resistance. Currently, 63 Delta variant genomes with the K417N mutation were recognized by the GISAID. Delta plus variant (AY.1 variant or B.1.617.2.1) is the modified version of the delta variant which has brought a devastating second COVID-19 wave in India and it has been declared as a "variant of concern (VOC)" by the World Health Organization. As of 28th November 2021, more than 500 cases of delta plus variant have been reported in 12 countries, in particular in the US, UK, and India.