Highly infectious Indian Covid variant spreading rapidly in US and makes up SEVEN times more cases in just a month
THE highly contagious strain of the coronavirus rampaging across India is quickly showing up in record numbers of Covid cases in the United States.
The B.1.617.2 variant was first documented as just 1 percent of all new cases in the country at the beginning of May, but new reports show the number is seven times at the end of the month, with the strain making up 7 percent of all new cases.
A report from Outbreak.info indicate the variant, which experts believe is 60 percent more transmissible than the original Covid strain, reached its high of 7 percent of samples sequenced on May 26.
"There is some available information to suggest increased transmissibility," said Maria Van Kerkhove, the World Health Organization's technical lead on Covid-19.
The WHO classified the variant last week as being a global concern and required increased tracking and analysis.
The strain is also believed to have driven India's second wave, as it is so predominant in some parts of the country.
India is experiencing a slew of problems at the height of its second wave of the coronavirus.
The increased cases have exacerbated problems within its health care system, forcing patients to wait for beds in some parts of the country.
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This week in the region of Mayurbhanj, footage showed patients naked in their beds while waiting for assistance from personnel.
Over 28 million cases of the coronavirus have been confirmed in India so far.
The number of deaths is steadily rising from 331,000, according the country's health ministry.