Variant First Found in India Sparks Concern in U.S.

Here’s the latest news from the global pandemic:

In a single day last month, India reported 314,835 new Covid-19 infections, the biggest one-day surge in cases for any country worldwide. The culprit: a coronavirus variant known as B.1.617 that pushed the country’s health-care system to the brink.

Now that variant has been detected in at least 44 countries, including the U.S., where top health officials are growing increasingly concerned. While the highly contagious mutation has only been seen in less than 1% of U.S. cases so far, the potential for spreading is possible with anti-pandemic measures loosening and about 60% of Americans not yet fully vaccinated.