246 deaths, 8,173 infected with COVID-19 infection in 24 hours

KATHMANDU: The coronavirus (COVID-19) has killed additional 246 people in a single day. In the last 24 hours, an additional 8,173 people have been confirmed infected with the coronavirus, according to the Ministry of Health and Population.

The number of deaths from COVID-19 infections in a single day was the highest so far. Earlier, 225 people had died on May 11.

According to the Ministry, a total of 5,657 people have lost their lives due to COVID-19 infection.

A total of 8,173 people were confirmed infected with the RT-PCR and antigen tests across the country.

In the last 24 hours, 7,989 people have been recovered with the virus.

Indian variants active

Meanwhile, Nepali health officials have confirmed that two new coronavirus variants – B.1.617.1 and B.1.617.2 have been active in Nepal now. They are the sublineage of Indian double-mutant variant that was classified by WHO as variant of concern recently.

According to Ministry of Health, Gnome sequencing of 35 samples were done at India’s CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology which proved the more contagious virus was active in most of the infected people.

With the sequencing of the 35 samples, 34 samples found with variants B.1.617.2 and one sample found with B.1.617.1. These representative samples were collected from east to west and north to south regions of Nepal. The samples were from 6-82 years of age group.

These two variants have been more deadly and rapidly spreading in India as well.

According to Dr Krishna Poudel, Chief at the Department of Epidemiology and Disease Control, the new variants have been claimed that it can spread 40 times higher than British variants. The infected people needed more oxygen, affected to all age categories this time in comparison to first wave. And this variant have been spread to all parts of the country.