81% of the 401 samples sent by the Punjab government for genome sequencing tested positive for the British variant of Covid-19, Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said on Tuesday. The samples were sent for analysis at the National Center for Disease Control.
“A total of 401 samples, collected between 1.1.2021 and 03.10.2021, were submitted to the NCDC for genome sequencing. The result of these samples was concerning as it showed the presence of the B.1.1.7 variant in 326 Covid samples, ”said a government statement citing the head of the state’s Covid expert committee, Dr. KK Talwar .
Amarinder expressed concern and urged the Center to expand the vaccination network to cover those under the age of 60, as the mutant strain has been found to infect young people more.
“The process needs to be sped up,” he said, pointing to the fact that experts had found the Covishield vaccine to be equally effective against the UK variant: B.1.1.7. It is essential to vaccinate more and more people to break the chain of transmission, “he said.
The state government, which has already announced new restrictions, would be forced to impose more restrictions if people do not follow appropriate Covid behavior, it warned, urging people to get vaccinated.
The CM’s appeal came after Dr. Talwar briefed him on developments about the new variant in the state, which has seen an increase in the number of cases in recent weeks. The UK is home to a large Punjabi diaspora.
“The state health department had sent 478 Covid positive samples to NIB (National Institute of Biologicals), IGIB (Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, Delhi) and NCDC for genome sequencing, of which the results of 90 samples and only two samples were shown for N440K (a variant of the coronavirus), ”the statement said.
Punjab’s Nodal Officer for Covid-19, Dr. Rajesh Bhaskar, said that the N440K strain is from Maharashtra and Kerala. Prior to that, a sample was found from a passenger, who had come from the UK, carrying the B.1.1.7 strain. “The UK passenger was immediately isolated and recovered. After those three cases, now 326 samples out of 401 that we had sent for genome sequencing have shown the presence of the UK strain. These are the first native Punjab cases to show the UK strain. This strain is more contagious, infecting 70% more people, but it is not nearly as deadly or as serious. Still, it is cause for concern because more people testing positive means extreme pressure on health infrastructure and the need for more hospital beds, ”said Dr. Bhaskar.
After two samples from the state were found carrying the N440K strain, a team from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare of the Government of India visited Punjab to review the increase in positivity. The team was also briefed on the pending results of genome sequencing, the government statement added.
The CM said that Dr. Talwar informed him that although the UK variant is more infectious but not more virulent. Additionally, the Oxford vaccine (Covishield) is equally effective against the UK variant.
When asked about 81 percent of Punjab sample cases that were detected with the virus variant in the UK, Union Minster Prakash Javadekar, at a press conference in New Delhi, said that the virus is showing up in new variants and forms. That is why it is important to get vaccinated, since that is the only shield, he said. “You have to keep wearing masks and maintain social distancing and washing your hands is also important, but vaccination is the only shield,” he said.
Punjab Health Minister Balbir Singh Sidhu said the samples that tested positive for the UK variant were taken from a representative sample of the population. “This means that this strain has spread to a greater extent, which is of great concern to us, as the transmission rate of this strain is quite high,” Sidhu said.
Referring to the general spread of Covid in the state, he said that urban areas were hit the hardest. However, the death rate is higher in the rural belt, the minister said. Many people, especially young people, do not follow Covid-related protocols and are urged not to be complacent, he said.
When asked how severe the UK strain is, Dr Talwar said: “It is infectious and the transmission rate of the infection is quite high compared to the parent virus. There is not much difference in the variants, but the UK strain spreads faster and younger people are affected as well.
Talwar said that the Punjab government has already imposed various restrictions to control the spread of the coronavirus.
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