UK COVID-19 virus detected in India

India officially admitted that six cases of UK variant of COVID-19  were detected till  Tuesday morning amidst continuous decline in the number of active coronavirus cases across the country. Keeping in view the surge in the number of cases globally and the emergence of a new variant of the virus in the United Kingdom (UK) the Ministry of Home Affairs headed by Amit Shah  has issued fresh guidelines for surveillance with regard to COVID-19 till January 31.”While there has been a continuous decline in the active and new COVID-19 cases, there is a need to maintain surveillance, containment and caution, keeping in view the surge in cases globally, and the emergence of a new variant of the virus in the UK. Hence, containment zones will continue to be demarcated carefully; prescribed containment measures strictly followed within these zones; COVID-appropriate behaviour promoted and strictly enforced, and the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) prescribed in respect of various permitted activities followed scrupulously,” the MHA said. Six persons who returned to India from the United Kingdom have tested positive for the new UK variant genome of SARS-CoV2 .The mutated UK strain was detected in samples in NIMHANS, Bengaluru, in CCMB, Hyderabad and one in NIV, Pune.All these persons have been kept in single room isolation at designated health care facilities by respective state governments and their close contacts have also been put under quarantine,  said Ministry for Health & Family Welfare headed by Dr Harsh Vardhan. “Comprehensive contact tracing has been initiated for co-travellers, family contacts and others. Genome sequencing on other specimens is going on. “The situation is under careful watch and regular advice is being provided to the states for enhanced surveillance, containment, testing and dispatch of samples to INSACOG labs,” the ministry said. picture courtesy :HT