Virendra Pandit
New Delhi: Only one of the three SARS-Cov-2 variants, Delta, first detected in India, is now considered “of concern”, while two other strains have been downgraded, global health watchdog World Health Organization (WHO) said in its weekly epidemiological update on the pandemic.
The B.1.617 variant had caused the devastating surge in the Covid-19 case in India in the last couple of months. It is divided into three lineages: B.1.617.1, B.1.617.2, and B.1.617.3. The WHO had, in May, declared the entire strain a “variant of concern” (VOC).
On Tuesday, it said only one of the sub-lineages deserved that label.
“With updated information, B.1.617.2 remains a VOC and has been labeled as Delta. We continue to observe significantly increased transmissibility and a growing number of countries reporting outbreaks associated with this variant,” the WHO said, adding further studies into the impact of this variant remain a high priority.
B.1.617.1 has been reclassified to a Variant Of Interest (VOI) and labeled as Kappa. This variant will continue to be monitored and reassessed regularly.
B.1.617.3 is no longer classified as either a VOI or VOC, and relatively few reports of this variant have been submitted to date.
Variants no longer classified as VOCs or VOIs will continue to be monitored as part of the overall evolution of SARS-CoV-2, and maybe reassessed pending new evidence indicating an increased public health risk, the WHO added.
