Nagpur: A 28-year-old man in Nagpur, who tested positive for COVID-19 on December 15, is suspected of carrying the new strain of COVID-19 found in the UK, the Government Medical College administration said Nagpur said Thursday. .
According to Dr. Avinash Gawande, Superintendent of Government Medical College Nagpur, the patient, who returned from the UK on November 29, was examined at the airport upon arrival, but tested negative for COVID-19 at the time.
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“After seven days, he stated that he was showing symptoms and complained of loss of smell. He was retested for COVID-19 at Nandanvan Public Health Clinic (PHC) and his rapid antigen test was performed on 15 December, “said Dr. Gawande.
His RT-PCR test was done on Tuesday and he came back positive on Wednesday. The swab samples from the patient were sent to the National Institute of Virology, Pune, for further examination, the official said.
“We do not know if it is the old mutant or the new mutant (of the virus). He has mild symptoms and, as a precautionary measure, they have kept him in a different room at the Government Hospital and Medical College here,” he said. said.
Three or four members of the person’s family have also been examined. They are in quarantine at home and are being monitored, the civic chief said.
He called on people with recent travel backgrounds to the UK and Europe to come forward and get tested.
Meanwhile, India has temporarily suspended all flight operations between India and the UK until December 31, 2020.
On December 20, Prime Minister Boris Johnson informed the public that a new variant of the COVID-19 virus had been found in the UK.
“Given the preliminary evidence we have on this new variant of the virus and the potential risk it poses, I must say with great regret that we cannot continue with Christmas as planned,” he tweeted.
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