Health ministry says number of people infected with UK COVID strain in India stands at 38

A total of 38 people have been tested positive with new UK variant of SARS-CoV-2 in India, confirmed Union Health Ministry on Monday. Those infected have been kept in single room isolation in designated health care facilities by respective state governments and ir close contacts have also been put under quarantine. 

"A total of 38 samples have been found to be positive with new UK variant geme," ministry said. It said comprehensive contact tracing has been initiated for co-travellers, family contacts and ors. "Geme sequencing on or specimens is going on," it ded.

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Three such new cases in Rajasthan

Three people have recently tested positive for UK variant in Rajasthan's Sriganganagar district.

"Three persons have tested positive for new UK variant of coronavirus. ir samples were sent to Delhi. All three have been shifted to district hospital. Contact tracing and ir sampling have been done. area where y live has been sanitised," Hawaiian Singh, SDM Sriganganagar told ANI.

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38 people tested positive from different parts of country

Out of 38, mutated UK strain was detected in eight samples at National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), New Delhi, 11 in Institute of Gemics and Integrative Biology (IGIB), Delhi, one in National Institute of Biomedical Gemics (NIBMG), Kalyani (near Kolkata), five in National Institute of Virology in Pune, three in Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) in Hyderab and 10 were sequenced at National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences Hospital (NIMHANS), Bengaluru.

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NCBS, InSTEM in Bengaluru, CDFD in Hyderab, ILS in Bhubaneswar and NCCS in Pune have so far found UK mutant virus, Health Ministry has said.

As per experts, new COVID-19 strain is more transmissible than or SARS-CoV-2 variants. On January 2, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said India has successfully isolated and cultured UK-variant of Sars-CoV-2, virus that causes COVID-19 disease. It is to mention that or country has yet reported successful isolation and culture of UK-variant of SARS-CoV-2, ICMR informed. 

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(With ncy Inputs)