Twenty more infected by new COVID-19 strain

As many as 20 more people were tested positive for the new UK variant of Novel Coronavirus, taking the total number of such cases to 58, the Union Health Ministry said here on Tuesday.

As per an official statement released by the Ministry, a total of 10 samples have been detected in NIMHANS, Bengaluru; three in CCMB, Hyderabad; 25 in NIV, Pune; 11 in IGIB, Delhi; eight in NCDC, New Delhi and one in NCBG, Kolkata.

A new variant of SARS-CoV-2 was found in the UK, which according to experts, was said to be up to 70 per cent more transmissible. Several countries, including India, have suspended flights with the UK and launched screening of the UK returnees, to prevent the spread of the new mutant.

The samples for the UK strain are being tested at designated 10 Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomic Consortia (INSACOG) labs for genome sequencing.

All the infected persons have been kept in single room isolation in designated Health Care facilities by respective State Governments, while their close contacts are under quarantine, the Ministry added.

The Ministry further said that the infected patients' 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 specimens is going on, it said.