British officials could declare one of the new coronavirus strains first found in India a "variant of concern", the BBC said on Friday, as scientists flagged evidence that it spreads more quickly than the original version of the virus. Scientists have recommended that one version of the variant first found in India, known as B.1.617.2, is designated a "variant of concern", the BBC said, adding more than 500 cases of the variant had been recorded, up from 202 last week. Public Health England (PHE), which postponed publication of its weekly data on variants on Thursday, had no immediate comment on the report. The original India variant, B.1.617, was first detected in October, but Public Health England (PHE) has categorised three different subtypes, all with slightly different mutations. "That paints a relatively positive picture that the vaccines are going to continue to have efficacy," he said.

Source: Mint May 07, 2021 10:34 UTC