Lambda variant has now been detected in at least 29 countries including South America, US, Australia, Israel and parts of Europe (Eagle News) – A new variant of interest of the COVID-19 virus is yet again causing concern since it was first detected in Peru late last year, amid recent research that indicated it may be more infectious than other variants and could have higher immune escape mechanisms. The Lambda variant, or C.37, has […]
Tag: variant
Hong Kong bans flights from UK over Delta Covid variant
HONG KONG, China (AFP) — Hong Kong is to ban all incoming flights from the United Kingdom from July 1 to curb the more infectious Delta strain of the coronavirus, the financial hub’s government said in a statement Monday. “All passenger flights from the UK will be prohibited from landing in Hong Kong,” the statement said. The UK would now be designated in the “extremely high-risk” category of countries, it added, the most severe rating […]
Delta variant mutation – “Delta Plus” variant declared as new variant of concern in India
(Eagle News) – A new variant of concern was declared in India, known as the “Delta Plus” variant. This new variant of concern is a mutation of the earlier Delta variant which caused the surge in cases in India early this year. India’s Ministry of Health declared that the Delta Plus variant, or AY.1, was observed in three states – Maharashtra, Kerala, and Madhya Pradesh. It said 40 cases had been identified so far. […]
Covid-19: How vaccines work against the Delta variant
by Paul RICARD Agence France-Presse PARIS, France (AFP) – The Delta variant of the coronavirus, first identified in India, is a cause for global concern with studies showing it is more contagious and resistant to vaccines than other forms of Covid. But there is also evidence vaccines retain important effectiveness against Delta after two doses. Here is what we know about how variants respond to jabs. Fewer antibodies… Several lab tests show that the Delta […]
WHO switches to Greek alphabet for virus variant names
by Robin MILLARD GENEVA, Switzerland (AFP) — Covid-19 variants are to be known by letters of the Greek alphabet to avoid stigmatizing nations where they were first detected, the World Health Organization announced Monday. The new system applies to variants of concern — the most troubling of which four are in circulation — and the second-level variants of interest being tracked. “They will not replace existing scientific names, but are aimed to help in public […]
Vietnam to suspend incoming int’l flights to Hanoi over new Covid variant from June 1 to 7
HANOI, Vietnam (AFP) — The international airport of Vietnam’s capital will suspend inbound flights from abroad beginning Tuesday, the country’s aviation body announced, as it grapples with a fresh wave of virus outbreaks. A “temporary suspension of receiving international flights” will begin at Hanoi’s Noi Bai International Airport from June 1 at midnight until June 7, the Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam said in a statement on Monday. Vietnam’s health minister said over the […]
Vietnam discovers new hybrid virus variant – combination of Indian and British strains
HANOI, Vietnam (AFP) — Vietnam has discovered a new Covid-19 variant which spreads quickly by air and is a combination of the Indian and British strains, health officials confirmed Saturday. The country is struggling to deal with fresh outbreaks across more than half of its territory, including industrial zones and big cities such as Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. More than 6,800 cases including 47 deaths have been reported in Vietnam, with the […]
10 more Indian variant cases detected bringing to 12 total B.1.617.2 cases in PHL
(Eagle News) — Ten more Indian variant cases were detected in the Philippines bringing the total number number of B.1.617.2 cases in the country to 12. The Department of Health said that the “latest sequencing run included the samples from the crew members of the MV Athens Bridge, returning overseas Filipinos (ROFs) with relevant travel history, and deceased severe or critical COVID-19 cases.” The DOH said that the 10 new cases were in addition […]
Indian Covid-19 variant found in 44 countries, all regions: WHO
GENEVA, Switzerland (AFP) — The World Health Organization said Wednesday that a variant of Covid-19 behind the acceleration of India’s explosive outbreak has been found in dozens of countries all over the world. The UN health agency said the B.1.617 variant of Covid-19, first found in India in October, had been detected in more than 4,500 samples uploaded to an open-access database “from 44 countries in all six WHO regions”. “And WHO has received […]
Covid Indian variant detected in Kenya: health ministry
NAIROBI, Kenya (AFP) — A case of the Indian variant of the coronavirus has been detected in Kenya, the country’s health ministry said Wednesday, a few days after it was also confirmed in neighbouring Uganda. “This variant has been picked (up) in Kenya and because of global connectivity, it is just a question of time. You cannot be able to put barriers … to prevent a virus from accessing your territory,” said the ministry’s director […]
Indian Covid variant found in at least 17 countries: WHO
GENEVA, Switzerland (AFP) — The World Health Organization said Tuesday that a variant of Covid-19 feared to be contributing to a surge in coronavirus cases in India has been found in over a dozen countries. The UN health agency said the B.1.617 variant of Covid-19 first found in India had as of Tuesday been detected in over 1,200 sequences uploaded to the GISAID open-access database “from at least 17 countries”. “Most sequences were uploaded from […]
Pres. Duterte agrees with health experts on long quarantine for ROFs to secure PHL border
Unscheduled meeting called to address DOLE chief Bello’s concerns on “too long” 14-day quarantine for OFWs (Eagle News) – Health experts insisted on the value of a longer quarantine period for returning OFWs – from a minimum of 10 to 14 days –to protect the country from incoming variants of COVID-19 which President Rodrigo Duterte supported. In a Talk to the Nation of President Duterte Wednesday night, April 21, specialist doctors who are members […]





