Third wave imminent? Maharashtra reports 5 deaths from COVID-19 Delta Plus variant

New Delhi: In what could be hinting at a third wave of COVID-19 hitting the country, Maharashtra on Friday (August 13, 2021) confirmed five deaths due to the Delta Plus variant. Among the five fatalities, two patients were from the Ratnagiri district and one each from Raigad, Beed and Mumbai. 

Mumbai, notably, had seen its first death due to the Delta Plus variant when a 63-year-old fully vaccinated woman had succumbed to the infection in July. Following her death, at least two of her close contacts were also found infected with the variant. On August 11, the state authorities had learnt that she had a Delta Plus variant infection. 

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Meanwhile, as many as 66 people were also found infected with the highly transmissible variant in the state. It was detected during genome sequencing of swab samples sent from different parts of the state. Of the 66 Delta plus patients, 33 were in the 19 to 45 age group, 18 in the 46 to 60 age group, eight were aged over 60 age and seven were under 18. This is to be noted that ten patients had taken both doses of COVID-19 vaccines. 

The maximum number of Delta plus patients were from Jalgaon (13), followed by Ratnagiri (12) and Mumbai (11). Six patients each were from Thane and Pune districts. Cases were also reported from Palghar, Nanded, Gondia, Chandrapur, Akola, Sindhudurg, Sangli, Nandurbar, Aurangabad, Kolhapur and Beed districts. 

As per the health department, a 50-year-old woman from Thane was also found COVID-19 positive on July 22 and her report received on Friday revealed she was infected with the Delta plus variant.

Earlier, an 80-year-old unvaccinated woman from Ratnagiri district who had been infected with the Delta Plus variant had died in June. 

(With PTI inputs)

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