14 more detected with new strain
NEW DELHI: Fourteen more people who tested positive for coronavirus have been infected with the new and more transmissible UK variant genome of the SarsCoV-2 virus, taking the total figure to 20 and underscoring the need to urgently trace travellers who arrived in India from Britain in the recent weeks.
The Union ministry of health announced on Wednesday that the results of genome sequencing of positive samples released by the Indian Sars-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (Insacog) labs showed 20 people had the new virus strain. The samples have so far been sequenced in seven of the 10 designated labs across the country— seven in NIMHANS, Bengaluru, two in CCMB, Hyderabad and one in
NIV, Pune, eight in NCDC, Delhi, one in IGIB, Delhi and one in NIBG, Kalyani (West Bengal).
The presence of the new UK variant has already been reported in Denmark, Netherlands, Australia, Italy, Sweden, France, Spain, Switzerland, Germany, Canada, Japan, Lebanon and Singapore.
All the infected people are now in isolation, the health ministry said.
NEW DELHI: The total number of people testing positive for the new UK variant genome of SarsCoV-2 virus has reached 20, the Union ministry of health and family welfare announced on Wednesday, based on the results of genome sequencing of positive samples released by the Indian Sars-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (Insacog) labs.
The samples have so far been sequenced in seven of the 10 designated labs across the country— seven samples tested positive in NIMHANS, Bengaluru, two in CCMB, Hyderabad and one in NIV, Pune, eight in NCDC, Delhi, one in IGIB, Delhi and one in NIBG, Kalyani (West Bengal).
The health ministry had announced Tuesday that six UK returnees had tested positive for the variant.
All the infected people are in isolation, the ministry said in a statement, adding that their fellow travellers and close contacts are being traced and quarantined. Genome sequencing on other samples is currently going on. “All these persons have been kept in single room isolation at designated health care facilities by respective state governments and their close contacts have also been put under quarantine,” the Union ministry said.
From November 25 to midnight of December 23, 2020 about 33,000 passengers disembarked at various Indian airports from the UK.
All these passengers are being tracked and subjected by states to RT-PCR tests.
“The situation is under careful watch and regular advice is being provided to the states for enhanced surveillance, containment, testing and dispatch of samples to Insacog labs,” the health ministry statement said.
The presence of the new UK variant has already been reported by Denmark, Netherlands, Australia, Italy, Sweden, France, Spain, Switzerland, Germany, Canada, Japan, Lebanon and Singapore, so far.
First detected in London and Kent in mid-September, the variant was identified by UK authorities as a matter of concern on December 14. They later disclosed evidence that it appeared to be more transmissible, and was behind a spike in cases in the country.