Six UK returnees test positive for new covid strain..Two from Telugu states!

The new covid strain which has been detected in six Indians after returning from the UK was taken cognizance by the Government of India.

Among the two UK returnees, one each from Telangana State and Andhra Pradesh were reported positive for the new strain of Covid B 1.1.7, which was first announced in the United Kingdom.

The initial results of genome sequencing of the two individuals was declared by Indian SARS-CoV-2Genomics Consortium (INASCOG).

Six travellers from across India were tested positive for the new mutant strain SARS-CoV-2 out of the 114 blood samples tested, as per a public statement from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW), New Delhi on Tuesday.

The 114 samples were initially sent to 10 INASCOG labs in Pune, Bhubaneshwar, Hyderabad, Delhi and Bengaluru. All these passengers are being tracked and put in isolation by frequent RT-PCR tests. 3 in NIMHANS, Bengaluru, 2 in CCMB (Center for Cellular & Molecular Biology), 1 in NIV ( National Institute of Virology), Pune detected it.

All these six people and their close contacts were subjected to single room isolation in designated health care facilities by state governments respectively.

The facilities long with doctors will adhere to the Standard Operating Protocol for States/Uts to monitor the mutant variant of SARs-CoV-2 issued on 22 December 2020.

The situation is carefully being tracked and suggestions are being provided to the states for improved surveillance, containment, testing and dispatch to INASCOG labs.