Threats from Covid's Delta Variant, first found in India, Still Not Over

12

Nov

Threats from Covid's Delta Variant, first found in India, Still Not Over

Rakesh Sinha

According to the Indian Sars-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) threats from Covid's Delta Variant, first found in India in October last year, still not over.

The Delta variant caused the devastating second corona wave in the country that led to high fatalities. Good news is that threats from other variants of interest or concern are over as per sequencing data collected and analyzed by INSACOG from India. "Delta, including B.1.617.2 (AY) and AY.x sub lineages, continues to be the main VOC (Variant Of Concern) globally. As per the latest WHO (World Health Organization) update, Delta has outcompeted other variants in most countries and there is now declining prevalence of other variants among SARS-CoV-2 sequences submitted to publicly available datasets or reported to WHO,” it said.

In India

Delta (B.1.617.2 and AY.x) continues to be the main variant of concern (VOC), said INSACOG in a bulletin released on Thursday. However there is also no change in the global scenario. The Delta variant spread undetected due to its structural advantages over other variants. Moreover Delta itself have several variety, around 35 that are collectively referred to as ‘Delta-plus’ variants.

However, as per experts, the real cause for its widespread use was due to a combination of several factors like crowds gathering at public meetings, not following social distancing, close proximity to the infected, undetected infections that helped in evolution of new variants.

Presence of the still active Delta variant in India increases the chance of a third wave of coronavirus making a comeback. Long festival seasons, followed by assembly elections in five states, has heightened the susceptibility of virus’s once again becoming epidemic. Due to the looming threat of deadly variants, the Government of India (GOI) keeps pushing for an increase in daily doses of vaccination.

Simultaneously it's also investing in installing Oxygen manufacturing plants, Oxygen filling plants, Oxygen Supplier and Oxygen distributions network. Even the private manufacturer of oxygen plants like Bhartiya Cryogas continue to invest in improving their capacities.

The Sahibabad (Dist. of Ghaziabad) in U.P based, Bhartiya Cryogas is one of the leading manufacturers and exporter of medical and industrial plants including Oxygen, Nitrogen, Nitrous Oxide and Acetylene Plants India.

The deadly outbreak of a second covid wave has led to an unprecedented rise in demand of oxygen grade oxygen concentrators and cylinders. Several hospitals run out of oxygen and has to rationalize its use by reserving for the most critical ones.

The surge in global demand of commercial grade oxygen has now led to large scale private investments pumped into setting up of a new oxygen factory, oxygen cylinder filling plants. Several existing oxygen plant manufacturers like Bhartiya Cryogas have set up new oxygen cylinder filling plants in India. They are also exporting it to other countries.

As per the Ministry of Health statistics till now across India, 1,595 PSA (Pressure Swing Absorption) plants have been installed in the last six months. Total installed is to produce 2,088 metric tonnes of oxygen daily. The advantage of PSA plants, which deliver on-site, piped oxygen to hospitals, is bigger in comparison to industrially-produced liquid medical oxygen that needs tankers to transport and storage units. It is also quick and cheap to install.

The devastating second wave of the pandemic witnessed daily oxygen supply rise from 1,300 metric tonnes in early March to 10,250 metric tonnes on May 28. The Modi government ran oxygen trains to transport liquid medical oxygen from distant industrial hubs to fill up the shortage.