CALCUTTA: West Bengal reported the first case of a mutant coronavirus strain to appear in the UK, a senior health official said on Wednesday.
The patient, the son of a senior official at Calcutta Medical College and Hospital, tested positive for the mutant strain VUI-202012/01 after returning from London, the official said.
“The young man is undergoing treatment in the super specialty section of the state hospital. He is under observation. We have advised everyone who has come in contact with him to isolate themselves,” the official said, adding that the new strain is believed. to be significantly more transmittable.
The young man had tested positive for Covid-19 at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport upon his return to Kolkata 10 days ago, he said.
“Six others who had been in contact with the young man at the airport tested negative for the infection. When he returned from the UK, we sent him his samples for genetic analysis according to the protocol established by the Center.
“The new strain of the coronavirus was detected during its genetic analysis. We have sent the report to the National Center for Disease Control based in Delhi,” the official said.
Twenty cases of the mutant coronavirus strain have been reported across the country so far, of which eight were detected in Delhi and seven in Bangalore.
The mutant strain VUI-202012/01 (the first variant under investigation in December 2020) is defined by a set of 17 changes or mutations.
More than 40 countries, including India, have banned travel to and from the UK, a move that several scientists said was necessary in view of the rapid spread of VUI-202012/0, which was first detected on 21 May. September.
The patient, the son of a senior official at Calcutta Medical College and Hospital, tested positive for the mutant strain VUI-202012/01 after returning from London, the official said.
“The young man is undergoing treatment in the super specialty section of the state hospital. He is under observation. We have advised everyone who has come in contact with him to isolate themselves,” the official said, adding that the new strain is believed. to be significantly more transmittable.
The young man had tested positive for Covid-19 at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport upon his return to Kolkata 10 days ago, he said.
“Six others who had been in contact with the young man at the airport tested negative for the infection. When he returned from the UK, we sent him his samples for genetic analysis according to the protocol established by the Center.
“The new strain of the coronavirus was detected during its genetic analysis. We have sent the report to the National Center for Disease Control based in Delhi,” the official said.
Twenty cases of the mutant coronavirus strain have been reported across the country so far, of which eight were detected in Delhi and seven in Bangalore.
The mutant strain VUI-202012/01 (the first variant under investigation in December 2020) is defined by a set of 17 changes or mutations.
More than 40 countries, including India, have banned travel to and from the UK, a move that several scientists said was necessary in view of the rapid spread of VUI-202012/0, which was first detected on 21 May. September.
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