Malaysia has discovered its first case of an Indian coronavirus Variant. It’s an extremely infectious coronavirus variant first identified in India, Health Minister Adham Baba spoke on Sunday, days after imposing a ban on flights from India.
The name of the variant detected is B.1.617. It was detected in an Indian national screened at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport, he said.
The World Health Organisation has defined it as a “variant of interest”. The WHO suggests that it may have mutations that would make the virus more transmissible, induce severe disease or evade vaccine immunity.
“We advise the public to remain calm… All public health efforts will continue in order to break the chain of infection and ensure public safety,” Adham stated.
He did not speak about when the variant was actually detected.
As Malaysia is facing a surge in COVID-19 cases it has banned flights to and from India. It has also prohibited travelers from any Indian destination from coming to the country. These steps are taken to prevent the spread of the new variant.
India is fighting a disastrous second wave of the coronavirus that has overwhelmed hospitals, morgues, and crematoriums.
Malaysia in February imposed a nationwide COVID-19 vaccination programme. The programme aims to inoculate 80% of its 32 million people within a year.
The Southeast Asian country reported 3,418 fresh coronavirus cases on Sunday, bringing its total number of infections to 415,012 cases, grabbing more than 1,500 deaths.
