More than a dozen UK Covid-19 strains detected in India, tracing of contacts intensifies

After detecting near about 18 cases of the UK Covid-19 strain in India, the central government is on high alert and has intensified efforts to trace people who have come in contact with the patients who have been tested positive for the new strain. From November 25 to December 23, about 33,000 passengers from the UK disembarked at various Indian airports. All these passengers are being tracked and subjected to RT PCR tests by state and UT administrations. Etv Bharat's Gautam Debroy spoke to the experts to know about how the government is working round the clock to trace the returnees from the UK and to contain the new viral strain's spread.

New Delhi: Designated genome sequencing laboratories assigned to examine the UK Covid-19 strain in India have detected more than dozen such cases till Tuesday, officials privy to the development told ETV Bharat.

Detection of new virus strain has put the central government on alert following which the govt has intensified efforts to trace people who have come in contact with the patients who have been tested positive for the new strain.

"All these persons have been kept in single room isolation in designated health care facilities by respective state governments. Their close contacts have also been put under quarantine. Comprehensive contact tracing has been initiated for co-travellers, family contacts, and others. Genome sequencing on other specimen is going on," said Union Health Ministry.

It may be mentioned here that from November 25 to December 23, about 33,000 passengers from the UK disembarked at various Indian airports. All these passengers are being tracked and subjected to RT PCR tests by state and UT administrations.

"So far only 114 have been found positive. These positive samples have been sent to 10 India SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) laboratories across the country," the ministry said.

Talking on the development to ETV Bharat, Dr Suneela Garg, advisor ICMR said that government of India is keeping a close watch on the developments.

"Although the issues need more alertness, we have put all-out efforts so that all possible cases with UK Covid-19 strain could be detected," said Dr Garg.

Dr Garg said that as of now 23 mutations have been found in SARS-CoV-2 virus.

"From the UK study, it is found that the latest mutation is N501Y...Government of India has become vigilant following the developments," said Dr Garg.

Asserting that India's existing treatment protocol is well enough, Dr Garg said that government has also strengthened community surveillance "as many of the people who came from abroad might have gone to their homes."

She admitted that the new strain is more infectious. "The new virus mutation is infectious. It has 70 percent more transmissibility compared to the previous one," said Dr Garg.

The presence of the new UK variant has already been reported by Denmark, Netherland, Australia, Italy, Sweden, France, Spain, Switzerland, Germany, Canada, Japan, Lebanon and Singapore.

The Indian Government has suspended all flights coming from the UK till December 31.