Updated: December 23, 2020 7:33:35 am
Under the new standard operating procedures, district surveillance officers will contact those who arrived from the UK between 25 November and 8 December and advise them to self-monitor their health. (Archive)
A DAY after announcing the suspension of flights to and from the United Kingdom until December 31, the Center assured on Tuesday that there is no reason for panic, noting that the new strain of the new coronavirus has not been seen in India.
The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare also published detailed standard operating procedures (SOPs) for states regarding travelers from the UK who arrived in India in the past month, including carrying out genome sequencing. in case of positive samples.
“The Indian government is watching closely. We are fortunate that our country has robust laboratories. Since the beginning of the pandemic itself, we have been isolating the virus; we have systematically studied the genomic behavior of more than 1,000 virus samples. We have closely examined the mutations. So far, we haven’t found any signs (of the presence of the UK variant), ”said NITI Aayog Fellow Dr VK Paul.
“Also, so far, according to the scientists, the most important thing is that despite this mutation, there is no negative impact on all the vaccines that are being developed in India,” he said.
Paul said that “all samples” collected “recently” in labs that perform genetic sequencing have been “prioritized” since Monday. “This is being done in a much broader way and at a faster pace. CSIR, ICMR and DBT are working together, ”he said.
He said that the Indian experts had a detailed conversation with their counterparts in the UK on Monday. “As of now, based on our discussions with scientists in the UK and our deep understanding of the available data, there is no cause for concern or panic. Is it a reason for us to be more attentive? Of course, yes … also with the new variant, there are no changes in our treatment guidelines, ”said Paul.
The Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said that the country’s main laboratories would carry out genome sequencing of samples collected at airports, as well as Covid-positive patients with a history of recent travel to the UK.
“We have been testing passengers from the UK. The ICMR, CSIR and NCDC laboratories have established thousands of genome sequences during the pandemic. And given this new challenge posed by the British variant of the virus, these laboratories will work with renewed vigor to establish the sequencing of the genome of the samples that have been collected at the airports, as well as the samples that will be collected relative to the passengers who have arrived. to the country in the recent past, ”he said.
Bhushan said that the state passenger manifest for the UK flights that landed at various airports in India from November 25 to December 23 will be transmitted by the Immigration Office to state governments.
“Passengers who have recently arrived from the UK to different parts of the country will be contacted; We will examine whether they have experienced any clinical problems. We will find out how many of them have been infected and examine if there is anything common. If the infection is active, we will collect the sample and carry out genomic sequencing, ”said Paul.
Passengers arriving from the UK at Mumbai airport on Tuesday (Express photo)
For those who arrived between December 9 and 23, surveillance officers will follow up daily for up to 14 days after arrival, and travelers will have to self-check for 28 days.
If the result is positive, the genome sequencing of your samples will be carried out. If genome sequencing indicates the presence of a new variant, the patient will continue in a separate isolation unit.
Giving details of discussions with UK scientists, specifically about the ‘N501Y mutation’ in the spike protein that the new coronavirus uses to bind to the human ACE2 receptor, Paul said: “One thing that has emerged is that the transmissibility of the virus has been improved Infectivity has increased Previously the UK dominant strain spread the infection to 1-1.5 people, this has increased to more than 2 (in the case of the new variant). Transmissibility has increased by 70 percent. In other words, you can refer to this variant as a superpreader. “
However, the other things that have come up are also equally significant. First, this mutation is not affecting the severity of the disease. Second, the case fatality rate was not affected either. Third, hospitalization and the severity of the disease have not been affected, ”he said.
However, in a pandemic, the spread is everywhere. Due to travel, the virus spreads; It is also a fact that this variant has been found in other countries such as Australia. Therefore, we have to be vigilant. However, we have traced the isolated viruses in laboratories in India, the data does not show any such mutation here, ”said Paul.
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