While many countries are still struggling with the Delta variant of COVID-19, a new variant is making its way through India.
The Delta Plus variant - also known as B.1.617.2.1 or AY.1 - was first reported in India in February. And since then its spread has ramped up with the state of Maharashtra recording 103 Delta Plus cases as of August 24.
It's not the only variant causing concern, there are currently 11 variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus being monitored by the World Health Organization.
The new variants are a concern because they have the potential to be more deadly and infectious, like the Delta variant which is wreaking havoc around the world.
Even New Zealand hasn't managed to escape Delta. The alert level four lockdown was sparked by an outbreak of the variant which has seen community cases surge past 200 in just one week.
So what does the emergence of Delta Plus mean and how worried should we be?
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.
The Indian Government also says the new variant is more transmissible, can more easily and strongly bind to receptors on the lungs and has the potential to evade antibody responses. In June it declared Delta Plus a variant of concern because of this.
But it's worth noting neither the World Health Organization nor the United States Centres for Disease Control and Prevention has deemed it a variant of concern yet.
Is the Delta Plus variant more dangerous?
It's too early to really know. While the Indian Government has raised concerns, experts say more data is needed to have a definitive answer.
Infectious disease expert and senior scholar at Johns Hopkins University Dr Amesh Adalja told Healthline in August there is no evidence currently to suggest Delta Plus will be more of an issue than Delta.
"Right now, there is no reason to believe that Delta Plus is going to pose any more challenge above and beyond Delta - but, obviously, we need more data to [know that] definitively."
Does the vaccine work against Delta Plus?
Studies are underway in India to assess the efficacy of the major vaccines amid concerns of reduced effectiveness.
The Indian Health Ministry has expressed concerns about Delta Plus, suggesting it could have a similar ability to evade antibody treatments as the Delta variant.
UK research shows the Pfizer vaccine has an efficacy of 33 percent against Delta after one dose but that increases to 88 percent after two. The AstraZeneca vaccine had similar results with 33 percent protection after one dose and 60 percent after two.
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 made its way to our shores yet. So far it has been found in 11 countries including India, the United States, the United Kingdom, South Korea, China, Japan and Russia.
It has also been confirmed in Portugal, Switzerland, Nepal and Poland.
The variant is expected to continue spreading and scientists are keeping a close eye on it.
