India: 20 Persons Found with New Mutant Variant of SARS- CoV-2 Virus Reported from UK

New Delhi: Total of 20 persons have been found with the mutant variant of SARS- CoV-2 virus reported from UK, informed the Health Ministry today.

These include the six persons reported earlier (3 in NIMHANS, Bengaluru, 2 in CCMB, Hyderabad and 1 in NIV, Pune). 107 samples were tested in the 10 labs.

The Centre has constituted the INSACOG (Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium) comprising 10 labs (NIBMG Kolkata, ILS Bhubaneswar, NIV Pune, CCS Pune, CCMB Hyderabad, CDFD Hyderabad, InSTEM Bengaluru, NIMHANS Bengaluru, IGIB Delhi, NCDC Delhi) for genome sequencing.

The situation is under careful watch and regular advice is being provided to the States for enhanced surveillance, containment, testing and dispatch of samples to the INSACOG labs, the Health Ministry said.