New Delhi: A few weeks back, Boris Johnson, the Prime Minister of Britain announced that a new mutant strain of COVID-19 virus has been traced in the country. Since then, many countries have temporarily suspended their aviation services to and from the UK.
Amidst this panic-stricken situation, 6 UK-returnees in India have been diagnosed with the new mutant strain of the virus, which is probably 70% more contagious than the older strain. The doctors, however, have asserted that the mutant strain might be more contagious but not more destructive, and it can be controlled by the same vaccination process.
Among the 6 patients detected positive with the strain, 3 are admitted to the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bengaluru, 2 are under surveillance in the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, while 1 is being kept in National Institute of Virology, Pune.
All the patients have been kept under strict single-room isolation. Those who recently came into close contact with the patients have also been kept in strict isolation and surveillance. “Comprehensive contract tracing has been started for co-travelers, their families, and others”, said the Union Health Ministry.
“The situation is under careful watch and regular advice is being provided to the States for enhanced surveillance, containment, testing & dispatch of samples to INSACOG labs” – stated a government report.