The World Health Organization (WHO) launched a “Together for India” campaign on Monday and heightened concerns about the Indian variant of SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes Covid-19. The WHO has described the Indian variant of Covid-19 as a “variant of global importance”.
It is the same variant that was detected in Maharashtra with double mutations. It is now in the same category as the variants found in the UK, South Africa and Brazil.
Previously, the Indian Covid-19 variant was a “variant of interest” (VOI). The Survey of VOI on “variant of the request” (VOC) is carried out if a SARS-CoV-2 mutant provides evidence that at least one of the following criteria is met:
Easier transfer
Increased severity of the disease
Reduced neutralization by antibodies
Reduced effectiveness of drugs and treatment
Reduced vaccine effectiveness or vaccine evacuation
The WHO said preliminary studies showed that the Indian variant – identified as B.1.617 – was slightly spreading when compared to other variants. WHO epidemiologist Maria Van Kerkhove said the Indian variant also shows higher resistance to vaccine-eligible immunity.
Infographic: Rahul Gupta / India today
The Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) that was a partner in the development of the Covid-19 vaccine Covaxin – had said in April that his push neutralized the UK, Brazilian and Indian Covid-19 variants.
There are three lines or versions of the Indian Covid-19 variant – B.1.617.1, B.1.617.2 and B.1.617.3. Of these, B.1.617.2 has been found to be the most worrying due to its increased portability. The US Department of Health Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has classified all three variants as VOC.
The classification of a variant as a VOC is the second stage in the categorization of a threatening strain. The third level is “variant with high consistency” (VOHC). A variant is placed in this category if it is proven that the virus strain is immune to both the treatment protocol and vaccines or the prevention protocol.
Van Kerkhove of the WHO said there is still no evidence that elimination from diagnostics or therapeutics and vaccines does not work against the Indian variant of SARS-CoV-2.
Infographic: Rahul Gupta / India today
WHO’s chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan reiterated this view and urged people to “get the vaccine that is available to them.”
The Indian variant was discovered last October. Between January and March of this year, 220 of 361 samples with this double mutant variant were found in a study.
Some experts have attributed the rise of the second wave in India to the double mutant variant. This became the reason several countries imposed travel bans from India. The WHO said the variant had been reported from 30 countries.
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