Covid strain in Vietnam not new, part of B.1.617, Alpha variants: WHO

The feared 'hybrid' is part of the 'Delta variant'

Representative image. Credit: iStock Photo

A coronavirus variant which Vietnam authorities thought was a combination of the 'Delta variant' (B.1.617, first detected in India) and 'Alpha variant' (strain first detected in United Kingdom) is not a new hybrid but part of the existing 'Delta' strain, the World Health Organization's (WHO) representative in Vietnam told Nikkei.

"There is no new hybrid variant in Vietnam at this moment based on WHO definition," Kidong Park said in an online interview with the newspaper, adding that it was within the 'Delta' variation that originated in India.

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