Egypt detected its first case of the new Delta Plus COVID-19 variant in a 35-year-old Egyptian woman in July, but she had shown “very” mild symptoms and therefore did not require hospitalisation, stated the country’s Health Minister Hala Zayed on Monday.

Some other cases of the new variant were also detected in Egyptian travellers and non-travellers alike recently, however, these cases did not require hospital care, Zayed continued.

According to the World Health Organisation, the Delta Plus variant contains a new mutation in the spike protein the virus uses to enter human cells. Since it is closely linked to the Delta variant, it’s been called Delta Plus rather than another letter in the Greek alphabet. So far, the Delta Plus variant has been found in relatively low numbers.

The Delta variant first surfaced in India in March and is currently the cause of many cases worldwide; it does not cause severe symptoms, but its risk lies in being highly contagious, the minister explained.

Source: State Information Service Egypt