Using time period ‘Indian Variant’ for B.1.617 pressure has no foundation, WHO has not executed so: Health Ministry

Taking umbrage towards the B.1.617 mutant of the novel coronavirus being termed an “Indian Variant”, the Union Health Ministry on Wednesday mentioned the WHO has not used the phrase “Indian” for this pressure in its doc.
The ministry dismissed as “without any basis and unfounded” media stories which have used the time period “Indian variant” for the B.1.617 mutant pressure, which the WHO lately mentioned was a “variant of global concern”.

“Several media reports have covered the news of World Health Organisation (WHO) classifying B.1.617 as variant of global concern. Some of these reports have termed the B.1.617 variant of the coronavirus as an ‘Indian Variant’,” the ministry mentioned in an announcement.

“These media reports are without any basis, and unfounded,” it mentioned.

This is to make clear that the WHO has not related the time period “Indian Variant” with the B.1.617 pressure of the coronavirus in its 32 web page doc, it mentioned.
In truth, the phrase “Indian” has not been utilized in its report on the matter, the ministry added.