One case of a new COVID-19 variant first detected in India has now been found in the United States. Spotted first by researchers at Stanford University, the variant was found in Northern California.
It is said that the variant has two mutations – one similar to the variation found in the strain from California which was spotted in the spiky protein to which the virus attaches itself.
The new Indian variant was found in a patient from the San Francisco Bay Area by Stanford’s Clinical Virology Laboratory.
This marks the first case of the variant in the United States.
The variant was first detected last month by Indian health officials. India had witnessed a slowdown in the spread of COVID-19 in the last few months of 2020. But in March 2021, cases continued to rise across the country, nearing 100,000 daily infections in April.
Cases in California are currently declining after witnessing a surge in the winter months due to which cases increased in November running into the New Year.
However many could not digest the name of the new variant. Many consider the term ‘Indian Variant’ Covid-19 as a racist term.
#wuhanvirus The best way to make China pay for the deaths of millions. Stop them from makeing a profit on these deaths. pic.twitter.com/BIIET4kyR0
— i am indian (@PKT43995343) April 5, 2021
Please let us know when you have found China variant.#WuhanVirus https://t.co/2ZLa0ClwXJ
— Iron Man (@meBhiIronMan) April 4, 2021
Thousands took to Twitter showing their outrage at the ‘Racial’ discrimination.
#WuhanVirus and #ChinaVirus have now gone viral on Twitter.
Calling it the #ChineseVirus is incorrect
BUT
Calling it the #UKvariant, #BrazilianVariant #SouthAfricanVariant and now the #IndianVariant is okHow do you guys get so much duplicity#ChinaVirus#WuhanVirus https://t.co/HhIfJovgq3
— Being Sarika (@Maango_maan) April 5, 2021
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