The Indian variant explained in five South Asian languages

Cases of the Indian variant of coronavirus have been rising in the UK. The B.1.617.2 variant of the virus, which was first found in India last year, is thought to spread more quickly than other variants.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson says he has "increasing confidence" that the vaccines will work against all new variants, as a study conducted by Public Health England suggests both the Pfizer and AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccines are highly effective against the variant.

Areas in the UK where the Indian variant is detected have increased surge testing and accelerated vaccinations.

BBC Asian Network is helping the South Asian community to understand the emergence of this new variant in five languages: Gujarati, Punjabi, Sylheti, Tamil and Urdu.

Is the variant more dangerous? How did it emerge? Are Asians more at risk of catching it? Doctors have answered common questions about the Indian variant.

Punjabi

Dr Carter Singh explains what we know about the Indian coronavirus variant in Punjabi.

Sylheti

Dr Abdul Mannan explains what we know about the Indian coronavirus variant in Sylheti.

Urdu

Dr Anita Raja explains what we know about the Indian coronavirus variant in Urdu.

Tamil

Dr Akram Mohammadu explains what we know about the Indian coronavirus variant in Tamil.

Gujarati

Salim Modan answers common questions about the Indian variant in Gujarati.