Pakistan reports first Indian double-mutant COVID-19 variant case
The Indian variant is considered more transmissible by some health experts.
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) - Pakistan on Friday confirmed that the “Indian strain” of the coronavirus – a “double-mutant” variant – was detected in the country, Dunya News reported.
The health ministry on Friday reported the detection of the first case of an Indian variant of coronavirus. That has prompted authorities to trace those who were in contact with the patient who tested positive for the Indian variant.
Health officials also reported the presence of South African variant in seven COVID-19 patients in the country. No other information was shared by the health official and it was unclear how people with Indian and South African variants ended up reaching Pakistan.
The Indian variant is considered more transmissible by some health experts. Pakistan has already banned travel to and from India in April to avoid the spread of the variant.
Pakistan is currently in the middle of the third wave of coronavirus that authorities say has begun to decline. Pakistan has registered 913,784 confirmed cases and 20,607 confirmed deaths since the start of the pandemic.
