Coronavirus Delta Plus variant found in 11 countries.

A new and slightly changed version of the Delta coronavirus variant is spreading in a number of countries including the United Kingdom, United States and India, health officials say.

This strain, which has generated a significant amount of global media attention, is called B.1.617.2.1 or AY.1 — Delta Plus for short, and is a version of the Delta variant first detected in India in February.

It was first reported by Public Health England, a government health agency, on June 11. But the UK’s first few cases had been sequenced on April 26 — suggesting the variant may have been present and spreading by the spring.

The Indian government said it has submitted the variant to the Global Data System, and sent samples for genomic testing.
About 200 cases have been spotted in 11 countries. Health experts are investigating whether Delta Plus may be more transmissible than other strains like the Alpha or Delta variants — but it’s too early to say for sure what its effects may be.

Delta Plus has an extra mutation called K417N, which distinguishes it from the regular Delta variant. This mutation affects the spike protein, the part of the virus that attaches to the cells it infects.