Thiruvananthapuram : : Eight people who arrived from Britain have tested positive for covid, said Health Minister KK Shailaja. As the infections are Britain-oriented, additional tests are being done on all eight individuals to diagnose the virus type. Also, all airports have been issued directives calling for higher alert over their arrivals, the minister added.
The added tests and alerts aim to find if the infected persons might have brought in the mutated strain of coronavirus circulating in Britain. Serum samples have been forwarded to Pune Virology Lab for the purpose.
On the other front, there has been no surge in covid infections post the elections. Measures put in place by govt has helped rein in death toll too. The state is prepared for testing and treating the virus variant, should it show up here, said the minister.
Meanwhile, medical experts affirm that the new covid vaccine is capable of preventing the mutated strain of the virus as well,
Britain is currently witnessing huge surges of the virus variant. The new form of virus is 70 percent more infectious. Studies are underway to determine how potent it actually might be. The variant is estimated to infect and kill higher number of people than its predecessor. Therefore, more stringent measures will be put in place, said KK Shailaja. People who arrived from Britain earlier too have been placed under close monitoring, the minister added.
