The Indian coronavirus variant has been termed ‘variant of concern’ by the World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday. B.1.617 coronavirus variant first found in India last October was a “variant of interest” prior to the move.
WHO’s lead COVID-19 scientist, Maria van Kerkhove, said “There is some available information to suggest increased transmissibility of the B.1.617.” Maria said that the Indian variant is not the only one circulating in India. The British B.1.1.7 variant, which has been shown to have increased transmissibility, is also present there, she said.
Indian variant is more resistant to vaccines?
The US epidemiologist noted that the Indian variant may be more resistant to vaccines. There might be more information on the subject when WHO presents its weekly epidemiological update. Maria she said “we don’t have anything to suggest that our diagnostics or therapeutics and our vaccines don’t work.”
WHO Chief Scientist Soumya Swaminathan, added, “What we know now is that the vaccines work, the diagnostics work, the same treatments that are used for the regular virus work… In fact, people should go ahead and get whatever vaccine is available to them.”
What is a variant of concern?
In reference to Coronavirus, the variants of concern are those strains considered more dangerous than the original form of the virus first seen in China in late 2019. These variants have a higher transmissibility, lethality and resistance to vaccines. The Indian variant is now clubbed the Brazilian, British and South African mutations also classified as being of concern’.
“We will continue to see variants of concern around the world and we must do everything that we can to really limit the spread,” van Kerkhove said.
The WHO says that although most regions around the world are currently registering fewer infections, South Asia and Southeast Asia are experiencing dramatic increases.
Modi Government to be blamed
Indian experts and advisers have blamed the Modi government for the precarious situation in India, which is a concern to the world. Some experts have called PM Narendra Modi as a ‘super spreader.’ The government has proven that it has no plans for the second wave and is more concerned with boosting the image of PM Modi in India and the world. The Supreme Court has stepped in in the view of the Modi Government’s failure, but the government is fighting back over the wordings of supreme court instead of focusing on getting its act right.
International Reaction
Countries worldwide, especially the United States has sunk in more than a $ 1billion worth of aid to India as Modi Government is focused on its US$2.8 billion Central Vista project to build a new parliament building. The Pre Modi era capabilities built in India, including the Indian Navy, Indian Air Force, Airports, Railways etc. is being used to distribute the foreign aid in India.