New Covid-19 strain detected in Kolkata man after return from the UK

The new and more contagious Covid-19 strain found in the UK has been detected in a Kolkata resident, who returned from London this month. He is among at least two people to have tested positive for Covid-19 in Kolkata after returning from the UK.

“One was found to be carrying the new strain. He is now kept in isolation in a state-run hospital in Kolkata. The persons with whom he came in contact were being asked to stay in isolation. All precautions have been taken,” said a state health department official.

Also Read: UK virus strain in India: 14 more test positive, 20 cases so far

The Kolkata resident was among 222 passengers, who arrived on December 20 in the city on the last flight from London before the government suspended flights from the UK from December 23.

At least 33,000 passengers arrived in India from the UK from November 25 to December 23. They are being tracked and tested.

The Union health ministry on Wednesday said 20 of the infected people among them have been kept in isolation and the fellow travellers and close contacts were being traced and quarantined. Genome sequencing of samples of the passengers was going on.

Source: Read Full Article