U.S. health officials are keeping a close eye on an emerging Covid-19 subvariant, dubbed “delta plus,” that some scientists say may be more contagious than the already highly transmissible delta variant.
Formally known as AY.4.2, delta plus includes two new mutations to the spike protein, A222V and Y145H, which allow the virus to enter the body.
Francois Balloux, director of the Genetics Institute at University College London, said the delta plus variant could be 10%-15% more contagious than delta, which first appeared in India and spreads easier than Ebola, SARS, MERS and the 1918 Spanish flu, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The mutation has been detected in the U.S., but there hasn’t been a noticeable uptick in delta plus cases nationwide, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said at a White House Covid briefing Wednesday.
