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Updated May 12th, 2021 at 19:24 IST

WHO says COVID-19 vaccines 'effective' against B.1.617 variant first discovered in India

The World Health Organization (WHO) said that the COVID-19 vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics “continue to be effective” against the B.1.617 variant.

Reported by: Aanchal Nigam
Image credits: PTI/Twitter
Image credits: PTI/Twitter | Image:self
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The World Health Organization (WHO) on May 11 said that the COVID-19 vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics “continue to be effective” against the B.1.617 variant of the novel coronavirus which was first discovered in India. WHO representative to India, Dr Roderico H Ofrin said that based on the present information of the SARS-CoV-2, that causes COVID-19 and its ‘double mutant’ variant, the existing treatments are able to neutralise the pathogen. Recently, the variant identified in India has been classified as a variant of global concern with some initial studies showing that it is more infectious and spreads more easily.

"Based on what WHO knows so far as per discussions with experts globally, vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics continue to be effective against B.1.617 variant (of COVID-19), which WHO has classified as a variant of concern," WHO Representative to India, Dr Roderico H Ofrin as quoted by ANI.

B.1.617 is fourth variant of global concern

The B.1.617 variant of the novel coronavirus is the fourth mutation of SARS-CoV-2 that has been designated by the WHO as one of the global concern that requires comparatively more tracking and analysis. The other three variants of global concerns were first discovered in the UK, South Africa and Brazil. Dr Maria Van Kerkhove, Technical lead COVID-19 at the WHO had said that “B.1.617 virus variant that was first identified in India has been classified as a variant of interest by WHO.” She reportedly also said that the United Nations (UN) health agency requires much more information about the B.1.617 variant and all of its sub-lineages.

World Health Organisation (WHO) Chief Scientist Soumya Swaminathan on Monday (local time) told ANI that several studies are ongoing in India in a bid to examine the variant’s transmissibility, the severity of the disease it causes and the response of antibodies in the people who have received COVID-19 vaccines. Swaminathan reportedly called for more genome sequencing in India to get a more enhanced picture of what is presently happening amid the COVID-19 pandemic in other parts of the country. 

Sequencing does not give you the full picture. You do not know whether it is more transmissible, whether it causes more severe disease or what impact it has on your diagnostics," she said as per ANI.

Image credits: PTI/Twitter

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Published May 12th, 2021 at 19:24 IST

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