Nagpur: According to the health ministry, Israel on Tuesday confirmed its first case of Delta Covid-19’s ‘subvariant case’ which was previously reported by few European countries.
The ministry issued a statement which stated, “The variant AY 4.2. (scientific term for the subvariant) that has been discovered in a number of countries in Europe has been identified in Israel.” It further added that an 11-year-old boy was the carrier and was identified with the subvariant strain at Ben Gurion airport in Tel Aviv. The minor has been quarantined and no other case of the strain has been detected as of now as per the ministry’s statement.
The new AY 4.2 variant has been reported various times in the United Kingdom and other European countries. Professor of computational systems biology at University College London, Francois Balloux exuded his confidence that the subvariant is rare and doesn’t appear to pose the same risk of increased transmission as compared to the other strains.
According to UK Health Security agency’s briefing, the subvariant is ‘expanding’ and ‘on an increasing trajectory.’ Experts have further speculated that the subvariant could be almost 10 to 15 per cent more transmissible than the deadly delta variant which wreaked havoc in various countries.
After seeing a rise in Covid-19 cases, Britain on Tuesday said that it was monitoring the new subvariant of the Delta strain. Prime Minister Boris Johnson also said that the government is keeping a close eye on the new variant and denied the statement that it spreads more easily.
While addressing a press conference, Johnson said “As you would expect, we are monitoring it closely and won’t hesitate to take action if necessary.”
Experts have suggested that avoiding close-contact transmission and wearing a mask wherever necessary can prevent the further spread of the strain.
Scientists claim that the Delta variant caused the deadly second wave of the novel coronavirus in India. More than four lakh cases were recorded in a single day rise on May 7, and lakhs of people lost their lives due to an immense shortage of medical oxygen and beds.
