CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS: Local health officials report that Nueces County has received a notification from the State Department of Health Services about the first case of the COVID-19 Delta Plus variant.
Doctors said the patient, who is a woman between the ages of 50 and 60, has fully recovered from the virus.
Health experts said they did the test and it was found to be an advanced case.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, variant SARS-CoV-2 AY.1 is related to variant B.1.617.2 (Delta).
Doctors said it is classified as a “variant of concern” because it spreads much more easily than the original virus. Health officials added that it causes a much more serious illness, which is more likely to lead to hospitalizations.
Doctors said that if the Delta Plus variant is relatively new, early evidence indicates that currently approved vaccines (Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson) still offer a high degree of protection against Delta Plus variant infection.
The Corpus Christi-Nueces County Public Health District said “advanced” infections of vaccinated people are possible, but symptoms have generally been milder and hospitalizations are less frequent compared to those who are not vaccinated, such as in this case.