The Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) said on Saturday that India has “successfully cultivated” the new strain of coronavirus, which originated in the United Kingdom (UK).
File image for representation: Reuters
The Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) said on Saturday that India has “successfully cultivated” the new strain of coronavirus, which originated in the United Kingdom (UK).
On Twitter, the ICMR claimed that no country has yet reported on the successful isolation and culture of the British variant of SARS-CoV-2.
Culture is the process by which cells grow under controlled conditions, usually outside of their natural environment, news agency PTI he said in his report.
“The UK variant of the virus, with all signature changes, is now successfully isolated and cultured at the National Institute of Virology (NIV) from clinical specimens collected from UK returnees,” said the ICMR.
India successfully cultivates the newest viral strain on the horizon (British variant of SARS-CoV-2). # ICMRFIGHTSCOVID19 # IndiaFightsCOVID19 #CoronaUpdatesInIndia # COVID-19 # Unite2FightCorona @MoHFW_INDIA @PIB_India @DrHVoffice @drharshvardhan @AshwiniKChoubey @icmr_niv pic.twitter.com/vaCMQMSHOJ
– ICMR (@ICMRDELHI) January 2, 2021
The research body said ICMR-NIV scientists used vero cell lines to grow the variant of the virus in the UK.
The UK had recently announced that the new strain of the virus identified in its population was up to 70% more infectious. Strict restrictions were put in place to check for the new Covid-19 strain in the UK at Christmas.
UK authorities had said the new coronavirus is now “out of control” there.
A total of 29 people have tested positive for the new British variant of SARS-CoV-2 in India so far, the Union Health Ministry said on Friday.
(With PTI inputs)
