As per an update from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, 38 samples have been found to be positive with the new UK variant genome of the coronavirus which causes COVID-19.
Of these samples, 10 were tested in NIMHANS, Bengaluru, three in CCMB, Hyderabad, five in NIV, Pune, 11 in IGIB, Delhi, eight in NCDC, New Delhi and one in NCBG, Kolkata.
The remaining of the 10 INSACOG labs (NCBS, InSTEM, Bengaluru, CDFD Hyderabad, ILS Bhubaneswar, and NCCS Pune) have so far found no UK mutant virus in the samples sent to them for genomic sequencing.
As per the health ministry statement, these patients have been kept in single room isolation in designated health care facilities by their state governments. Their close contacts have also been put under quarantine. Comprehensive contact tracing has been initiated for co-travellers, family contacts and others. Genome sequencing on other specimens is going on.
The situation is under careful watch and regular advice is being provided to the states for enhanced surveillance, containment, testing & dispatch of samples to INSACOG labs.