People returning from the UK taking flights to airports outside of Maharashtra; then traveling to Mumbai to avoid quarantine: CMO
Mumbai: Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope shared on Monday that eight people have been found in Maharashtra carrying the new strain of
coronavirus.
Of the eight people, five are from Mumbai and one each is from Thane, Look bhayander and Pune.
He reported that the authorities are tracking the contacts of all these people.
“8 passengers who returned from Great Britain tested positive for the new strain of COVID-19. Five of them are from Mumbai and one from Pune, Thane and Mira Bhayander. Contact tracing is underway, “Tope told city media.
Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray On Monday he held a meeting to discuss preparations for the COVID-19 vaccination in the state. At the same meeting, he also discussed the additional action plan after eight people tested positive for the new strain in the state.
An official statement from the Chief Minister’s office said that people returning from the UK to Maharashtra have been taking flights to out-of-state airports and then traveling to Mumbai to avoid quarantine.
As a preventive measure against the new variant of the virus, the government of Maharashtra imposed a night curfew in the state from December 23 to January 5. The Health Minister also asked citizens not to panic and urged everyone to follow the established rules and regulations. down by the authorities.
Meanwhile, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare announced on Monday that a total of 38 people in India have been found to be carriers of the new strain of COVID-19 so far.
All patients carrying the strain have been kept in single-room isolation in designated COVID-19 care facilities organized by the respective states.
While two indigenous vaccines in India, Covaxin and Covishield, have been approved by the Comptroller General of Drugs of India for restricted emergency use, the head of the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) stated that Covaxin will prove to be better than all the others. vaccines against the new mutant strain.
Mutant coronavirus strain: everything you need to know about the new variant
The new strain of coronavirus
Just as the world was ready to welcome the New Year, information about the identification of a new strain of coronavirus in the United Kingdom (UK) has created an air of panic and concern around the world. Even as vaccine development and distribution campaigns are underway around the world, this new mutant variant of the virus has alarmed experts and government authorities, leading to the imposition of new restrictions in several countries. Reuters photos
All about the new strain
The new COVID variant of the SARS-COV-2 virus has been called VUI – 202012/01 and is said to be 70% more contagious than the existing one. In London and other parts of the UK, the infection has spread like wildfire once again, forcing authorities to declare a complete lockdown with stricter rules and restrictions. Reuters photos
The initial cases
The first confirmed cases of the new strain of the virus were identified in mid-December this year in the UK, after which authorities announced that it was “out of control”. However, experts believe that the virus had been present in the region since September, but could not be detected because “there were no large-scale infections.” Around 60 per cent of patients in the UK have reportedly been infected with the new variant. Photo: AFP
Countries that have reported cases of the new variant
Infections related to the new COVID-19 strain are currently highly concentrated in the UK, causing several countries to temporarily suspend the arrival of citizens from the region. Several cases have also been reported in South Africa, Denmark, the Netherlands, Australia and Italy, while France recently suspected that the new variant could have also entered the Western European country. Photo: AFP
Is the new COVID-19 strain of concern?
Health experts in the UK and US said the strain appears to infect more easily than others, but there is no evidence yet that it is more deadly. The strain is also concerning because it has many mutations – nearly two dozen – and some are in the spikey protein that the virus uses to attach itself to and infect cells. That increase is the goal of current vaccines. AP Photo
What do the experts say?
Patrick Vallance, the British government’s chief scientific adviser, said the strain “is moving fast and is becoming the dominant strain.” “I’m worried about this, no doubt,” but it’s too early to know how important it will ultimately prove to be, said Dr Ravi Gupta, who studies viruses at the University of Cambridge in England. seriously, “said Peter Openshaw, professor of experimental medicine at Imperial College London. Reuters photos
Are current vaccines effective?
Scientists say there is no evidence that vaccines currently being rolled out in the UK, made by Pfizer and BioNtech, or other COVID-19 injections in development do not protect against this variant. “This is unlikely to have more than a minor effect, if any, on the effectiveness of the vaccine,” said Adam Finn, a vaccine specialist and professor of pediatrics at the University of Bristol. According to Jeremy Farrar, director of the London-based research charity Wellcome Trust UK, there is currently no indication that the new strain bypasses treatments and vaccines. Reuters photos
New COVID-19 strain not detected in India: ICMR
The mutant strain of coronavirus has not been seen in samples tested in various parts of India, reported Dr. Samiran Panda, director of the ICMR-National AIDS Research Institute (NARI). Speaking to ANI, Dr Panda said: “We have analyzed samples collected from various parts of the country and we have not seen the mutant strain found in the UK. We should not think that this will definitely come to India.”
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