Comment on A 'more rapidly spreading virus' is fueling India's mega COVID-19 surge, WHO chief scientist says

Relatives prepare a pyre for cremation of a relative who died of COVID-19 at a crematorium in Ajmer, Rajasthan on May 8, 2021. Shaukat Ahmed/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images A coronavirus variant first identified in India has "mutations which increase transmission, the WHO's chief scientist said. The B.1.617 variant might also be antibody resistant, giving it the power to reinfect people. But more vaccination will still help control its transmission, and prevent severe disease and death. See more stories on Insider's business page. The World Health Organization is sounding the alarm about a coronavirus variant first identified in India, which is now spreading around the globe.The variant, B.1.617, is "likely to be a variant of concern," the WHO's chief scientist Dr.