The Union Ministry of Health has called an urgent meeting of its Joint Monitoring Group on Monday to discuss the appearance of a mutated variant of the coronavirus
in the UK, which has led to an increase in the infection rate there. Several European countries have banned flights from the UK when the British government warned that the powerful new strain of the virus was “out of control” and imposed a new strict stay-at-home blockade from Sunday.
“The Joint Monitoring Group (JMG) chaired by the Director General of Health Services (DGHS) will hold a meeting on Monday morning to discuss the issue of the mutated variant of the coronavirus reported from the UK. The WHO representative in India, Dr. Roderico H Ofrin, who is also a member of the JMG, is likely to participate in the meeting, “a source told the PTI news agency.
An increase in the rate of infection caused by the new variant of the coronavirus has led millions of people to enter a new strict stay-at-home lockdown in the UK starting Sunday, with shops and non-essential businesses now closed.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the new rules at a briefing at 10 Downing Street on Saturday night, meaning a five-day Christmas bubble of relaxed rules was canceled in favor of a new level 4 for the current three level lock. system to try to control the increase in infections caused by the new mutation of the deadly virus. “It appears that the spread is now being driven by the new variant of the virus,” Johnson said.
“We have alerted the World Health Organization and continue to analyze available data to improve our understanding,” said Professor Chris Whitty, England’s chief medical officer. There is no current evidence to suggest that the new strain causes a higher mortality rate or affects vaccines and treatments, although urgent work is being done to confirm this, ”he said.
“Unfortunately the new strain was out of control. We have to get it under control,” UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock told Sky News after Johnson changed his previously established policy of easing containment measures during the holiday season. .
Scientists first discovered the new variant, which they believe is 70 percent more transmissible, in a patient in September. And Public Health England notified the government on Friday when modeling revealed the full severity of the new strain.
But Britain’s Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty noted that while the new strain was much more infectious, “there is no current evidence to suggest that it causes a higher death rate or affects vaccines and treatments, although They are doing urgent work to confirm it. ” this.”
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