Global disease experts say little is known about China's experience with long-term COVID effects thought to have afflicted millions with debilitating fatigue, brain fog and other symptoms
Bangladesh finds coronavirus cases of Indian variant
Bangladesh has discovered coronavirus cases with some resemblance to a variant first found in India, prompting health officials to set off an alert.
Published : 8 May 2021, 11:11 AM
Updated : 8 May 2021, 11:11 AM
“The Indian variant is highly contagious and people must be on the alert,” Nasima Sultana, additional director general of the health directorate, said at a news briefing in Dhaka on Saturday.
The original India variant, officially known as B.1.617, has three subtypes -- all with slightly different genetic mutations. B.1.617.2, now found in Bangladesh, appears to be spreading more quickly than two other identified subtypes of the Indian variant.
Viruses mutate all the time, producing different versions of themselves. Most of these mutations are insignificant -- and some may even make the virus less dangerous, but others can make it more contagious and harder to vaccinate against.
Nasima Sultana of DGHS said six cases of the Indian variant have been identified by Bangladesh, but not all of them are completely of the Indian variant. “Two cases are confirmed to be of the Indian variant, while the others are quite close to it.”
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