The Centre on Wednesday clarified that the World Health Organisation (WHO) has not associated the term "Indian Variant" with B.1.617, now classified as "Variant of Concern".
Several media reports have covered the news of WHO classifying the B.1.617 as a 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. This is to clarify that 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," a statement by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare read.
On Tuesday, the WHO had released the report on B.1.617 strain of COVID-19. It was said that this strain is more contagious and life-threatening than before. This strain has also acquired a great deal of immunity against the corona vaccine. This strain has been found in many countries of the world.
According to the report, this strain of coronavirus was first reported in India in October 2020. The second wave of coronavirus in India and the increasing number of deaths have raised questions about the possible role of this strain and other variants B.1.1.7.
The report had also said that the B.1.617 variant had been detected in sequences uploaded "from 44 countries in all six WHO regions".
"As of 11 May, over 4500 sequences have been uploaded to GISAID (platform of data sharing mechanism for influenza) and assigned to B.1.617 from 44 countries in all six WHO regions, and WHO has received reports of detections from five additional countries," WHO said in its weekly epidemiological update on the pandemic.
