New Covid Delta Variant Detected in the UK also Found in US

A new mutation of the Delta variant “Delta plus” has been identified in the UK, but experts say there’s no need to worry about it yet. 

British officials are keeping close watch over the new strain, which is a direct descendent of the Delta variant. The Delta variant is the most dominant one in the UK. New data is showing that six percent of the Covid cases in the country are a new version that is genetically related to Delta. But, there is no indication that the new variant will be the next one to replace Delta.

AY.4.2 — the official label of the semi-new variant — contains mutations of Delta. Some studying it say it could contain mutations that give it a survival advantage. 

The new variant has now been detected in the U.S. But again, experts have said there isn’t a need to worry about the variant yet, as only six cases have been reported across America. 

While it’s easy to quickly fear the new variant, experts say that it is unlikely to be a big problem, saying it most likely won’t spread in the same way the Delta variant did, and that it will still be affected by vaccines. Therefore, it is not yet a variant of concern.

Tests are being done to study the variant, and how much of a threat it really is. However, it is not technically not associated with the risk level labeled “under investigation,” showing the experts aren’t too worried about the slight mutation. 

There are thousands of variants of Covid around the world, but only a few of those mutations from the original strain of Covid have been of major concern. The original Delta variant became one of concern in May of this year in the UK when it overtook the original version, Alpha variant, as the most dominant strain of Covid. 

Delta plus was identified in the UK back in July, but the spread of it had been slow, leading few to worry about it.

The Oxford Vaccine Group chief Andrew Pollard said that the discovery of new variants is important to monitor, but that it does not necessarily mean a new variant will be the next one to replace the highly contagious Delta variant.