14 more UK returnees found with mutant Covid virus; total infected now 20

Aditi Tandon

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 30

The more infectious strain of UK Covid mutant virus has been detected in 14 more passengers who returned from the UK recently taking the total number of infected to 20.

The government had reported the presence of the mutant virus in six UK-returned passengers on Tuesday.

The consortium of genome sequencing labs which consists of 10 laboratories equipped with whole genome analysis capacity reported on Wednesday morning that 14 additional passengers had reported the new Covid virus variant which has 70 per cent more infective capacity than the old strain. The new variant is not causing severe disease though and most people infected with it are asymptomatic as in the previous strain which mostly caused mild disease in 80 per cent of the infected.

In all, the government has now tested 107 samples of passengers who returned from the UK starting November 25 until December 22 midnight when the temporary flight ban from UK came into force.

Aviation minister Hardeep Puri has said the ban could be extended into the New Year.

Meanwhile, a meeting of the National Task Force on COVID is expected soon to take a call on future travel and surveillance strategies.

Among the 20 that tested positive for the variant virus, eight were confirmed by National Centre for Disease Control, New Delhi, seven by NIMHANS, Bengaluru, two by Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad, and one each by other labs among 10 in the genome consortium.

Of the 33,000 passengers who have returned from the UK recently 114 had Covid and of them 20 have now reported the new strain and are in isolation with contact tracing under way.