Karnataka begins tracking those who returned from the UK in the past 14 days

With the Center banning flights to and from the UK, from midnight December 22 to December 31, in light of a new and highly infectious strain of virus Detected there, the Karnataka government has decided to track all the passengers who had arrived in Bengaluru and Mangaluru from the UK since December 7. District surveillance officers have been asked to track, test and place those people in home quarantine. Who are they RT-PCR positive will be placed below hospital isolation and positive samples will be sent to NIMHANS, Bengaluru for molecular testing. Passengers who are RT-PCR negative will be under strict quarantine at home for 14 days.

The Minister of Health Dr. K Sudhakar told the media that 531 passengers had arrived from the UK to the state on Sunday and of those, 138 did not have negative COVID certificates, although all were asymptomatic. “So now we are trying to trace them in a day or two and do RT-PCR tests.

We will also install kiosks at airports to control all passengers coming from Europe and even from other transit centers ”. He also asked all returnees from Europe to undergo voluntary RT-PCR testing. The minister also dismissed talks about the Karnataka lockdown.

Meanwhile, Dr. Jagadish Hiremath, Ace Suhas Hospital medical director, has called for strict policy measures for all passengers from Europe. Dr Srivatsa Lokeshwaran, Consultant – Interventional Pulmonology, Aster CMI Hospital said the new serotype of the virus was causing a massive increase in cases in the UK. “The virus is 70% more infectious. However, it is not yet known whether it can lead to increased morbidity and mortality. The RNA virus has always had the tendency to mutate rapidly and therefore there are several challenges that you face in addressing this virus. If the UK is able to contain the virus locally, it will help put out the flame early, ”he said.

So how cautious Bengalis must be. DR P Rupashree, Consultant General Practitioner at Apollo Spectra Hospital, said: “In our interconnected world, it is easy for the virus to spread in a short time. So yes, there is a definite chance that the UK mutated strain will make its way to India. At this point, we still don’t know if the mutated strain in the UK has made the virus more dangerous or less dangerous. If the mutations cause significant changes in the virus and fast enough, then the effect of any vaccine against the virus will be short-lived and we will need to get a new vaccine every year, just as we are currently doing with the influenza vaccine. Only time will tell, ”he added.

However, Dr. Hiremath added that mutations were common and occur regularly in viruses. “Another mutation that affects the virus in a similar way is unlikely to occur again. The vaccine has been found to retain its potency against this strain as well. So for now there is no reason to worry too much. ”

One more meeting about schools

Dr. K Sudhakar said it was too early to predict whether this new development will affect the government’s decision to resume classes for classes 10 and II PU. He said he will meet with experts once again to get their recommendation on reopening the school. The Health Minister also warned hotels not to violate government regulations when hosting New Years parties.