While New Zealand is dealing with its own COVID-19 Delta outbreak, a new variant has arrived on Australia's shores.
The Delta Plus variant was detected in a quarantine hotel in Sydney and officially reported on Saturday. The variant, which is an offshoot of Delta, is formally known as AY.4.2 and includes some new mutations affecting the spike protein which the virus uses to penetrate cells.
It was first reported in India in February and has since moved to several other countries, including the United Kingdom where it is now the fastest-growing strain.
Delta is one of four 'variants of concern' the World Health Organization is currently tracking, the other three being Alpha, Beta, and Gamma. Two other variants, Lambda and Mu, are classed as 'variants of interest'.
What's the difference between Delta and Delta Plus?
Delta Plus differs from Delta because it has an extra mutation - K417N - found in the spike protein covering the surface of the virus that allows it to infect healthy cells.
Some experts say Delta Plus appears to be 10 to 15 percent more transmissible than the original Delta strain, which could be a factor in the UK's rising case numbers.
In recent months, this new strain has caused both the World Health Organization and the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to class Delta and its AY lineages as a variant of concern.
Does the vaccine work against Delta Plus?
It is currently unknown how effective vaccines are against this variant, but studies are underway.
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An analysis by Public Health England found that two doses of either the Pfizer or AstraZeneca vaccine were more than 90 percent effective against hospitalisations for people who had Delta.
Doctors strongly recommend getting the required number of doses to get the maximum protection against existing and emerging variants.
But while Delta can still infect vaccinated people, their symptoms and their likelihood of spreading the virus are significantly reduced. They are also much less likely to die from the virus. New Zealand is only using the Pfizer vaccine in its rollout.
Has Delta Plus spread to New Zealand
Delta Plus hasn't spread to New Zealand yet. So far, it's been found in more than 40 countries, including Taiwan, Australia, the United Kingdom, the United States, Portugal, and Russia.
The variant is expected to continue spreading, so scientists and researchers are keeping a close eye on it.
