GOI Issues Clarification WHO Did Not Term Covid Strain B.1.617 As “Indian Variant”

B.1.617 variant of Covid-19, first found in India in October last year said the World Health Organization.

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New Delhi: The Government of India has issued a clarification stating that WHO has not associated the term “Indian Variant” with the B.1.617 variant of the coronavirus in its 32 page document.

The GOI statement came after several reports were published recently about how B.1.617 variant was found in almost 44 countries. The B.1.617 variant is considered responsible for the devastating second wave in India.

The Government of India according to ANI in its clarification stated, "Several media reports have covered the news of WHO classifying B.1.617 as variant of global concern. Some of these reports have termed the B.1.617 variant of the coronavirus as an “Indian Variant”. These media reports are without any basis, and unfounded." 

It further said, "WHO has not associated the term “Indian Variant” with the B.1.617 variant of the coronavirus in its 32 page document. In fact, the word “Indian” has not been used in its report on the matter." Recently,  World Health Organization has classified the Covid-19 variant spreading in India as "of concern".

The UN body further said that the variant which is spreading faster than the original version might have some increased resistance to vaccine protections. The World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday informed that the B.1.617 variant of Covid-19, first found in India in October last year, had been detected in sequences uploaded from 44 countries.

According to the latest data released by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, 3,48,421 fresh cases of infection, 3,55,338 discharges and 4,205 deaths have been reported in the country in last 24 hours.