India is currently in the middle of a ferocious second wave, recording 184,372 new Covid-19 cases on Wednesday, overtaking Brazil to become the second-most affected country in the world. One of the factors propelling the second wave is the emergence of a new, fast-spreading Indian variant of the virus. Labelled B.1.617, the double mutant variant was first detected in India, but has been now found in eight countries, with 70% of samples containing the mutations originating from India. The E484K mutation, previously seen in the fast-spreading Brazilian and South African variants, makes the virus highly transmissible. First detected in India, it has now been found in 8 countries, with 70% of samples containing the mutations originating from India.

Source: Dhaka Tribune April 14, 2021 09:22 UTC