NEW DELHI: 14 more, in addition to 6 earlier, have been diagnosed with the coronavirus variant in India. All are travelers from UK and are found infected with SARS COV-2 - the mutated strain of coronavirus.
A consortium of ten labs has been constituted for detecting the new strain. Roughly, 33,000 persons returned last month from Britain, which is currently witnessing huge surges of the variant.
Those found infected have been lodged in isolation. Their co-passengers in flight and others who might have interacted with them too will be tested thoroughly. The original ban on flights from UK held good up to 31 Dec. In view of cases happening here, the restriction will likely be extended.
Covid vaccine will be effective on the mutated strain as well, the Union Health Ministry clarified. The dry run of new vaccine has been successful, it added.
Around the globe, more countries including Spain and US, have reported cases of the variant. The mutated version is 70 percent more infectious than the original coronavirus.
