NEW DELHI: The new UK variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which is 70% more transmissible, has been detected in India with at least seven returnees from the country, including a 2-year-old girl, who tested positive for the mutant variant, the government said Tuesday even as it assured the vaccines under evaluation will work against the new strain.
“Most vaccines target the spike protein (and) there are changes in the variants. But vaccines stimulate our immune system to produce a wide range of protective antibodies,” said lead scientific advisor K Vijay Raghavan. The observed changes in the virus variant allow it to attack and enter human cells more effectively.
“All of these passengers are being tracked and subjected by states and UT to RT-PCR tests. So far only 114 have been positive. These positive samples have been sent to 10 genome sequencing labs. Six samples from returnees from the UK that tested positive for the new UK genome variant are found in Bengaluru (3), CCMB Hyderabad (2) and NIV Pune (1), the Health Ministry said in a statement.
Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh confirmed its first case of the mutant strain with a two-year-old girl, who recently returned to Meerut with her parents from the UK, found to be infected with it. However, her parents were found to be infected with the old Covid-19 variant, UP’s health department said. The girl is in an isolation room with her parents at Subharti Medical College in Meerut.
Denmark, the Netherlands, Australia, Italy, Sweden, France, Spain, Switzerland, Germany, Canada, Japan, Lebanon and Singapore have already reported the presence of the new UK variant.
The government has expanded testing, surveillance and containment measures along with genome sequencing of positive samples and also urged people to strictly adhere to the appropriate Covid standards even after the vaccine is available. The government has established the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium of 10 government laboratories to analyze and sequence 5% of positive samples, including those from all international passengers.
Although currently the evidence indicates a higher infectivity of the new strain without an increase in the severity of the disease caused by it, the government will initiate studies to see the relationship between the new variant and virulence.
Raghavan said the increased transmissibility of the UK variant is cause for concern. Of the 17 changes in the virus, eight are in the spike protein and are important. “One change, N501Y, increases the affinity for the ACE2 receptor, used for viral entry into human cells. N501Y has previously been associated with increased infectivity and transmission in animal models,” he said.
He added that South Africa, which has also discovered several mutations in the virus, shares the N501Y change with the UK variant, in addition to several other changes.
In the UK, the prevalence of the spike gene variant was found in all positive results from samples collected in the field since October, validating that this strain is more transmissible.
India has suspended all flights from the UK from midnight on December 23 to December 31.
From November 25 to midnight December 23, nearly 33,000 UK passengers disembarked at various airports in India.
All people with the UK strain are in room isolation in healthcare facilities designated by the respective state governments. His close contacts have also been quarantined. A full contact tracing has been started for fellow travelers, family contacts and others. Genome sequencing is underway on other specimens, the ministry said.
“The situation is under careful monitoring and regular advice is being provided to states to improve surveillance, containment, testing, and sending samples to INSACOG laboratories,” the government said.
“Most vaccines target the spike protein (and) there are changes in the variants. But vaccines stimulate our immune system to produce a wide range of protective antibodies,” said lead scientific advisor K Vijay Raghavan. The observed changes in the virus variant allow it to attack and enter human cells more effectively.
“All of these passengers are being tracked and subjected by states and UT to RT-PCR tests. So far only 114 have been positive. These positive samples have been sent to 10 genome sequencing labs. Six samples from returnees from the UK that tested positive for the new UK genome variant are found in Bengaluru (3), CCMB Hyderabad (2) and NIV Pune (1), the Health Ministry said in a statement.
Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh confirmed its first case of the mutant strain with a two-year-old girl, who recently returned to Meerut with her parents from the UK, found to be infected with it. However, her parents were found to be infected with the old Covid-19 variant, UP’s health department said. The girl is in an isolation room with her parents at Subharti Medical College in Meerut.
Denmark, the Netherlands, Australia, Italy, Sweden, France, Spain, Switzerland, Germany, Canada, Japan, Lebanon and Singapore have already reported the presence of the new UK variant.
The government has expanded testing, surveillance and containment measures along with genome sequencing of positive samples and also urged people to strictly adhere to the appropriate Covid standards even after the vaccine is available. The government has established the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium of 10 government laboratories to analyze and sequence 5% of positive samples, including those from all international passengers.
Although currently the evidence indicates a higher infectivity of the new strain without an increase in the severity of the disease caused by it, the government will initiate studies to see the relationship between the new variant and virulence.
Raghavan said the increased transmissibility of the UK variant is cause for concern. Of the 17 changes in the virus, eight are in the spike protein and are important. “One change, N501Y, increases the affinity for the ACE2 receptor, used for viral entry into human cells. N501Y has previously been associated with increased infectivity and transmission in animal models,” he said.
He added that South Africa, which has also discovered several mutations in the virus, shares the N501Y change with the UK variant, in addition to several other changes.
In the UK, the prevalence of the spike gene variant was found in all positive results from samples collected in the field since October, validating that this strain is more transmissible.
India has suspended all flights from the UK from midnight on December 23 to December 31.
From November 25 to midnight December 23, nearly 33,000 UK passengers disembarked at various airports in India.
All people with the UK strain are in room isolation in healthcare facilities designated by the respective state governments. His close contacts have also been quarantined. A full contact tracing has been started for fellow travelers, family contacts and others. Genome sequencing is underway on other specimens, the ministry said.
“The situation is under careful monitoring and regular advice is being provided to states to improve surveillance, containment, testing, and sending samples to INSACOG laboratories,” the government said.
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