19 Percent of all Sample of UK Returnees Tested in 10 Labs Have New Virus

The cases of UK returnees infected with the new virus have been increasing in India.

On December 29, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare had released data of six travellers who were found to be positive with the mutated virus that originated in the UK.

A day later on December 30, the latest Ministry’s release has shown that the number has gone up to 20 now.

According to the release, 107 samples of positive persons have been tested in 10 labs identified for genome sequencing in India. Out of these 107 samples, 20 have been found to be positive to date. This includes the six cases identified on December 29.

Taking into account the number of samples tested and those found positive with the new virus, it suggests 19 percent have been infected.

The clarity will come in the coming days when more and more data will emerge from the sample testing reports.

These 20 cases have been found in labs located in NCDC (Delhi), NIBG (Kolkata), NIV (Pune), (CCMB) Hyderabad, NIMHANS (Bengaluru), and IGIB (Delhi).

The two labs in Delhi have reported a total of nine cases, the highest being the NCDC lab which has found 8 cases of new virus out of a total of 14 samples.

Those states which don’t have genome sequencing labs send the travellers’ sample to the neared lab.

NIV, Pune has a test maximum of 50 samples and out of that only one has been found to be positive with the new virus.

The government has earmarked single rooms as isolation wards for those people who have been infected with the new virus. Besides, it has launched an aggressive contact tracing of the relatives of all these patients.