Reportedly, the two individuals with COVID-19 positive results had arrived at Kolkata on December 20 on a flight with 220 co-passengers.
(Image: Twitter/@Reuters)
Two more returnees from the United Kingdom have tested positive for COVID-19. Their samples have been sent for genome sequencing to identify if they carry the new mutant strain.
Earlier, a youth, who had been admitted at the Kolkata Medical College Hospital, was found to have been infected by the new SARS-CoV-2 variant.
Reportedly, the two individuals with COVID-19 positive results had arrived at Kolkata on December 20 on a flight with 220 co-passengers. One of them is a resident of Bengal’s capital city, while the other is from Hooghly.
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The samples of the two UK-returned individuals have been sent to National Institute of Biomedical Genomics (NIBMG) in Kalyani – the only healthcare centre with genome sequencing facility in West Bengal.
The new mutant COVID-19 strain, reportedly 70% more infectious, was first found in UK in mid-December. It was cited as the reason behind the surge in coronavirus cases in the country’s southern and eastern parts.
The variant, which is believed to have resulted from multiple mutations in the spike protein of the SARS-CoV-2, has been referred to as VUI (Variant Under Investigation) 202012/01, or the B.1.1.7 lineage.
Meanwhile, the new and highly contagious strain of COVID-19 has been detected in 29 Indians so far. All of them had returned from the UK in December. Four of them were identified on Friday.
The Aviation Ministry, on Wednesday, announced that it has extended the suspension of flights to and from the UK till January 7 amidst the rising number of new COVID-19 variants in among Indians.
The samples of the new strain of Covid-19 are currently being tested at the labs of INSACOG in India.
The government plans to carry out the genome sequencing at 10 laboratories across the country eventually. The labs include NIBMG Kolkata, ILS Bhubaneswar, NIV Pune, CCS Pune, CCMB Hyderabad, CDFD Hyderabad, InSTEM Bengaluru, NIMHANS Bengaluru, IGIB Delhi, and NCDC Delhi.
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