Anew and more transmissible COVID-19 variant has been detected by health officials in the United Kingdom and the United States, sparking concerns over whether it can evade immunity offered by currently available vaccines.
The new variant, called “Delta Plus,” is an offshoot of the B.1.167.2 Delta variant. The Delta sublineage strain was first identified in July and was found to include some new mutations that affect its spike protein, according to BBC.
The AY.4.2 variant has since been detected in the U.S., Denmark, Israel and the U.K. where it was found in 8% of all COVID-19 samples sequenced beginning Sept. 27, according to an Oct. 15 report from the UK Health Security Agency.
In the U.S., the AY variants are listed as variants of concern by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. However, it is unclear how many of the sequenced COVID-19 cases in the country are caused by the AY.4.2 variant as the agency does not list it separately from the other AY variants.