Two UK passengers test COVID-19 positive in Kolkata as new virus strain sparks worries

Two passengers who arrived in Kolkata from UK on Sunday, where new strain of COVID-19 has spre across nation, have tested positive for highly-infectious disease at airport, said Kolkata airport official on December 22. As per ANI update, it is t yet mentioned if variant of vel coronavirus was found in travellers but it came just a day after India imposed restrictions on flights returning from UK amid fears over spre of COVID-19 variant which is alrey prevailing in Britain and South Africa. 

Ar passenger who h returned from UK tested positive for COVID-19 in Chennai who h travelled to city via New Delhi. This passenger’s sample was reportedly sent to Pune Virology Lab to identify wher patient is infected by new variant. 

two cases at Kolkata airport and one in Chennai were reported on Tuesday after India on December 21 restricted flights from and to UK between December 23 and 31 as a pre-emptive action against new strain of COVID-19 virus which could spre significantly faster than existing version due to mutations.

Moreover, passengers arriving from UK on all international flights before suspension deline are being mandatorily tested for Coronavirus on arrival at Indian airports. Union Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri h said, “Those found positive on arrival will be sent for institutional quarantine set up by State/UT governments. Those found negative will be vised to isolate at home for 7 days and will be medically monitored by States/UTs.”

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Why is new COVID-19 variant causing worry?

Experts from both United States and UK indicated that new strain appeared to infect more easily than rest of mutations that coronavirus has shown through months. However, re is t yet any evidence if variant is more dely. British government’s chief scientific viser Patrick Vallance reportedly said that strain “moves fast and is becoming dominant variant” causing over 70% of infections in country. 

strain is concerning t only because it is rapidly spreing but it reportedly shows mutations that affect part of virus likely to be important and some of se mutations have alrey shown experts that increase ability of pathogen to infect host cells. 

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