WHO adds variant detected in India to list
The World Health Organization has added a coronavirus variant that was first detected in India to its list of the variants, which need to be closely monitored for signs of higher transmissibility and a greater potential to evade human immunity.It urged health authorities across the world to report on cases involving the variant.
The variant is believed to be one reason for the recent surge of infections in India. The number of daily new cases in the country has been exceeding 300,000. The number of deaths each day has been topping 2,000.
The WHO said the variant has so far been confirmed in at least 16 other countries, including Britain, the United States and Singapore.
The WHO designated the variant as a "variant of interest" in a report released on Tuesday. The variant's lineage is B.1.617.
The organization said the variant has three characteristic mutations, which could increase the virus's transmissibility and reduce the work of antibodies against it.
The report said an analysis of cases in India showed that the variant appears to have increased transmissibility. Referring to the surge in India, the WHO said it may have been difficult to implement anti-virus measures at a time when massive religious events were being held in the country.
Source: NHK News
Post On : 04-29-2021