Amid a deepening crisis in India, the World Health Organization announced Monday that it had designated the B.1.617 variant, which has been growing more common in the country, as a variant of concern. “There is increased transmissibility demonstrated by some preliminary studies” of the variant, said Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, the technical lead of the W.H.O.’s coronavirus response. However, the agency said that vaccines will likely remain potent enough to provide protection against B.1.617. More details will be released in a report on Tuesday, Dr. Van Kerkhove said. The variant was first detected in India at the end of 2020 but became more common in the country starting in March.

Source: New York Times May 10, 2021 19:18 UTC