By: Archana Naresh
May 24 2021
No new variant has been identified in Singapore. Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal incorrectly attributed the B.1.617 variant as the Singapore variant.
Claim ID fed482f7
No new variant has been identified in Singapore. Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal incorrectly attributed the B.1.617 variant as the Singapore variant. Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal tweeted that a new COVID-19 variant detected in Singapore might come as a third wave of infections in India. He claimed that the variant is dangerous for children without citing any medical evidence and appealed to the central government to take immediate measures, including suspension of flights to and from Singapore and to work on vaccine priority options for children.
In contrast, variant B.1.617, referred to by CM Kejriwal, was first identified in India. Research suggests the variant may be more transmissible than the previous wild type (first wave) SARS-CoV-2. The B.1.617 variant is considered one of the driving factors in the second wave in India.
Singapore's Ministry of Health said that Kejriwal's assertion is unfounded. Indian and Singapore officials, along with Indian Foreign affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Singapore's Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, condemned Kejriwal's remarks. Moreover, there are no official reports from the Singapore government, and the health authorities across the globe, including WHO, regarding finding a new COVID-19 variant in Singapore.
As per the Singapore Health Ministry's findings, the variant first found in India (B.1.617.2) has resulted in several COVID-19 clusters in Singapore, forcing authorities to take extreme precautionary measures. The CM misrepresented these measures to a new variant of COVID-19 in Singapore that could trigger the third wave.
The COVID-19 pandemic has given rise to a lot of potentially dangerous misinformation. For reliable advice on COVID-19, including symptoms, prevention, and available treatment, please refer to the World Health Organisation or your national healthcare authority.