No new corona variant detected in Nepal : WHO

KATHMANDU, June 3: The World Health Organization (WHO) said that it is not aware of any new variant of the coronavirus in Nepal. 

Refuting the claim made by Daily Mail, a British tabloid, on Thursday, that Nepal variant has been a threat to the British tourists wishing to go for holidays.  The paper reported that  the scientists have alerted ministers to the mutant strain – thought to have originated in Nepal and claimed that the strain has spread to Europe. “They fear the strain is resistant to vaccines,” wrote the paper.

“WHO is not aware of any new variant of SARS-CoV-2 being detected in Nepal. The three confirmed variants in circulation are: Alpha (B.1.1.7), Delta (B.1.617.2) and Kappa (B.1.617.1). The predominant variant currently in circulation in Nepal is Delta (B.1.617.2),” the WHO took to Twitter on Thursday.

WHO is not aware of any new variant of SARS-CoV-2 being detected in Nepal. The 3⃣confirmed variants in circulation are: Alpha (B.1.1.7), Delta (B.1.617.2) and Kappa (B.1.617.1). The predominant variant currently in circulation in Nepal is Delta (B.1.617.2).@mohpnep @PandavRajesh

— WHO Nepal (@WHONepal) June 3, 2021

Nepal’s Ministry of Health and Population (MoHP)also said that three variants B.1.1.7, B.1.617.2 and B.1.617.1 were confirmed through a gene sequencing  test carried out in India in collaboration with the WHO.