A portion of Delta variant cases to be ‘reclassified’

As of now, micro-lineage AY.12 has the same risk classification as Delta

Some cases of the , the most widely prevalent variant of concern in India, are being “reclassified” to another sub-lineage that has been associated with a large number of cases in Israel, the India SARS-CoV-2 Genome (INSACOG) consortium, which tracks emerging variants, said in a report on Monday. The Delta variant (B.1.617.2) has birthed several sub-lineages called ‘Delta plus’ variants that bear most of its characteristic mutations but are different in other ways. One of these sub-lineages, called AY.12, has all the characteristic Delta mutations except one. The spike in cases in Israel is of concern because it’s a country with nearly 60% of its adults fully vaccinated and reports that the Pfizer vaccine’s effectiveness in that country is significantly less than what emerged over clinical trials.