WHO not aware of “Nepal variant” as claimed by British tabloid

KATHMANDU: The World Health Organization (WHO) on Thursday said it is not aware of any new variant of SARS-CoV-2 being detected in Nepal.

WHO statement comes after British tabloid Daily Mail reported a news story with the headline: “Nepal Variant Threat to Our Holidays”.

WHO said that no new variant, other than the previously confirmed ones, has been detected in Nepal.

WHO is not aware of any new variant of SARS-CoV-2 being detected in Nepal. The 3⃣confirmed variants in circulation are: Alpha (B.1.1.7), Delta (B.1.617.2) and Kappa (B.1.617.1). The predominant variant currently in circulation in Nepal is Delta (B.1.617.2).@mohpnep @PandavRajesh

— WHO Nepal (@WHONepal) June 3, 2021

“WHO is not aware of any new variant of SARS-CoV-2 being detected in Nepal. The three confirmed variants in circulation are Alpha (B.1.1.7), Delta (B.1.617.2), and Kappa (B.1.617.1). The predominant variant currently in circulation in Nepal is Delta (B.1.617.2),” the WHO tweeted.

The newspaper said: “Scientists have alerted ministers to the mutant strain – thought to have originated in Nepal – which has apparently spread to Europe. They fear the strain is resistant to vaccines.”

The Ministry of Health and Population has also refuted such detection and presence of a new variant in Nepal.

According to the Assistant Spokesperson at the MoHP, Dr. Sameer Kumar Adhikari, no new variant has been detected so far.