Uttar Pradesh Reports 2 Cases of Delta Plus variant of COVID-19

Uttar Pradesh reported two cases of Delta Plus variant of COVID-19, out of which one of the patients died. Confirming the reports, Additional Chief Secretary, Health & Family Welfare, Amit Mohan said that the cases were identified during genome sequencing of samples in the state.

According to a report of a news agency, the two cases of the new Delta variant, labeled variant of concern were found in Gorakhpur and Deoria districts of eastern Uttar Pradesh. Among the two cases, the 66-year-old resident of Deoria died during treatment, while the other works as a 23-year-old resident doctor at the Baba Raghav Das Medical College, Gorakhpur, the report said.

According to health department officials, the elderly patient contracted an infection on May 7 and was treated at home till his health deteriorated and he was shifted to the BRD Medical College, Gorakhpur. He died during the course of treatment on May 29. He had no travel history and all 27 contacts tested negative to Covid-19.

The genome sequencing of COVID-19 positive samples which were sent from Uttar Pradesh revealed two cases with the Delta Plus strain. More than 1,000 samples have been sent for genome sequencing from the state to various labs till now, as per the news agency. 

In late June, UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had asked health authorities to start genome sequencing of RT-PCR samples of passengers coming to UP from states which have reported Delta Plus variant cases. 

States including Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Punjab, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan, Jammu and Kashmir, Haryana and Karnataka have reported Delta Plus variant cases so far. 

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