In a disturbing development, the total number of Delta Plus and other Covid-19 variants like Alpha, Capa and other strains went up to 231 in Maharashtra on Monday, as 128 patients were found diagnosed in Mumbai with such infections and 27 new Delta Plus cases were in various other parts of the State.
According to the results of the first tests conducted at the Kasturba Hospital of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (MMC), 128 out of the total 188 patients were found to be infected with Delta type covid virus. Of the remaining samples, two patients were detected with alpha type, 24 were with capa type and the other patients were found to be infected with the common Covid-19 virus.
Elsewhere in Maharashtra, 27 more Delta plus cases were reported on Monday. The following are the details of new Delta plus cases reported: Ahmednagar—4, Nagpur –5, Amravati—6, Nashik-2, Gadchiroli-6, Yavatmal-3 and Bhandara-1. After it came out with the details of new Delta Plus and other Covid-19 variant cases, the BMC appealed to Mumbaikars to adhere strictly to the Covid-19 virus prevention guidelines. “A polite appeal is being made on behalf of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation that everyone should follow the measures like wearing mask, maintaining safe distance, regular hand hygiene and avoiding crowds,” a BMC statement said.
At the new Next Generation Genome Sequencing Lab set up Kasturba Hospital in south-central Mumbai which was inaugurated by chief minister Uddhav Thackeray on August 4, samples suspected to be that of Delta Plus and other variants of Covid-19 cases are analysed.
“In this next generation genome sequencing lab, medical samples from a total of 192 patients with covid infection were examined as part of the first batch. Of these, 128 patients were found to be infected with the Delta-type covid virus. Of the remaining samples, 2 were alpha type, 24 were capa type and the other patients were found to be infected with the common covid virus,” the BMC statement said.
“Currently new types of Covid virus are emerging. In such cases, it is possible to speed up the treatment by examining medical samples in the genome sequencing lab,” the BMC added.
