News Analysis India

Tag: UK COVID strain

  • New Covid strains: India makes tests on arrival must for flyers from UK, Europe, Middle East

    Express News Service
    NEW DELHI: The Centre has issued fresh guidelines for international arrivals as cases of mutant variants of Covid-19 from South Africa and Brazil were detected in India. The new guidelines have made Covid tests mandatory on arrival for those travelling from the UK, Europe, and the Middle East.            

    The new standard operating procedure will come into effect from February 22.

    As the spread of mutant variants of SARS-CoV-2 has been reported from many countries, the Union ministry of health and family welfare late on Wednesday evening released the new guidelines for international arrivals which formalises the testing procedure.

    Three variants- B.1.1.7 which was first identified in the UK, B.1.135 which originated in South African and the P.1 variant which originated in Brazil- have so far been detected in 86, 44 and 15 countries respectively.

    These variants have demonstrated increased transmissibility, raising concerns of another spike in cases. Even more worryingly, the Covid-19 vaccines developed so far have been found to be less effective in case of some of these mutations.

    So far, 4 cases of the South African variant of the coronavirus have been detected in four people who came to the country from Africa in January while one case of infection with the Brazilian variant has also been found apart from 187 cases of the UK variant.

    ALSO READ | COVID-19 vaccine could be available in open market by 2021 end: AIIMS Director

    The latest guidelines cover all international travellers coming or transiting through flights originating in the UK, Europe and the Middle East.

    Though no new strain has been detected in the Middle East, travellers from Brazil and South Africa transit through the region to reach India as the country does not have direct flights with Brazil and South Africa.

    The government has suspended international scheduled flights until February 28 and overseas flights to and from India are currently operated as per air bubble agreements with various countries.

    “All international travellers arriving in India will have to present a negative RT-PCR test, conducted not more than 72 hours before undertaking the journey,” said the guidelines accompanied by an algorithm for all international arrivals.

    For travellers coming from destinations other than the UK, Europe and the Middle East, this condition will be waived if they are travelling due to exigent circumstances, such as the death of a family member, it said.

    All the airlines have also been asked to segregate passengers originating from the UK, Europe and the Middle East to facilitate authorities in following due protocol. Those arriving from these countries will mandatorily be subjected to a self-paid confirmatory molecular test.

    The government advisory also said that in case any person arriving from these countries tests positive for Covid-19, their samples will be taken for genome sequencing of the strain.

  • Covaxin can neutralize UK strain of coronavirus too: Study

    Express News Service
    NEW DELHI: Scientists at the ICMR’s National Institute of Virology (NIV) and Bharat Biotech have found that Covaxin has similar efficacy against both the UK and variant of coronavirus prevalent in India.

    Covaxin, developed jointly by Bharat Biotech and the ICMR, had received the restricted emergency use authorisation by India’s apex drug regulator along with Oxford University-AstraZeneca’s Covishield, but is still to complete its phase 3 trials to prove its efficacy.

    However, both the regulator and the company had stressed that Covaxin can generate antibodies against multiple proteins instead of spikes alone which in theory suggests that it might have a better chance against the mutated variants.

    The latest scientific paper, released on Tuesday, which is yet to be peer-reviewed, has confirmed it.

    “A comparable neutralization activity of the vaccinated individuals’ sera showed against UK-variant and the heterologous strain with similar efficiency, dispel the uncertainty of possible neutralization escape,” says the paper.

    The UK variant has 17 mutations, eight of which are found in the spike protein. 

    “Therefore, it appeared that the majority of the vaccine candidates, being either recombinant or specifically targeting the single epitope of original D614G ancestral spike sequence, might not be able to generate an efficient immune response against the new variants,” the paper adds.

    ALSO READ | Phase-I trial results show Covaxin has tolerable safety, enhanced immunity: Lancet study

    Covaxin has been developed from the whole inactivated virus and is not based solely on the spike protein. 

    The experiment was conducted at the NIV, Pune, using the sera of 26 trial participants who had been vaccinated with Covaxin.  The serum is a component of blood that includes antibodies, which is used by the body in its fight against pathogens.

    The antibodies of the vaccinated trial participants were used against three strains of the Covid-19 virus for the experiment — hCoV19/India/2020770, which was used by the NIV for the development of Covaxin, hCoV-19/India/2020Q111, a local strain that has been circulating in India, and the hCoV-19/India/20203522, the mutant UK strain. 

    “Our study evidently highlighted comparable neutralization activity of vaccinated individuals’ sera against variants as well as heterologous SARS-CoV-2 strains,” researchers said. “Importantly, sera from the vaccine recipients could neutralise the UK variant strains discounting the uncertainty around potential escape.”

    The scientists concluded that it is “unlikely” the UK variant will “dampen the potential benefits of the vaccine in concern”.

    Covid-19 vaccines by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, being used in the US and several European countries have also been shown to work against a host of different strains of SARS CoV 2, including B.117 or UK strain that has been found to be more infectious and potentially also more fatal.

  • Total of 109 people in India tested positive for UK variant of coronavirus: Union Health Ministry

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The number of people who have tested positive for the new UK variant of SARS-CoV-2 in the country has climbed to 109, the Union Health Ministry said on Thursday.

    “The total number of persons found infected with the new UK variant genome stands at 109 today,” the ministry said.

    All these people have been kept in single room isolation in designated healthcare facilities by respective state governments, the ministry had said earlier.

    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 ministry said.

    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 INSACOG labs.

    The presence of the new UK variant has already been reported by several countries including Denmark, the Netherlands, Australia, Italy, Sweden, France, Spain, Switzerland, Germany, Canada, Japan, Lebanon and Singapore.

  • 102 people found infected with UK strain of coronavirus: Health Ministry

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The number of people in India who have tested positive for the new UK variant of coronavirus has climbed to 102, the Union Health Ministry said on Wednesday.

    Till January 11, the number of people affected by this strain of the coronavirus was 96.

    On Wednesday, the ministry said, “The total number of persons found to be positive with the new UK variant genome stands at 102 today.”

    All these people were kept in single-room isolation in designated healthcare facilities by respective state governments.

    Their close contacts have also been put in quarantine and comprehensive contact tracing has been initiated for co-travellers, family contacts and others.

    Genome sequencing on other specimens is going on, the ministry said, adding 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 INSACOG (Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium) labs, the ministry said.

    Presence of the new UK variant has already been reported by several countries including Denmark, the Netherlands, Australia, Italy, Sweden, France, Spain, Switzerland, Germany, Canada, Japan, Lebanon and Singapore.

  • New COVID-19 strain: RT-PCR test compulsory for air travellers both in UK, India

    By ANI
    NEW DELHI: With flights resuming operation from the United Kingdom amid the scare of the new Covid-19 strain, passengers will have to undergo an RT-PCR test both in the UK before boarding their flight and after arriving in India.

    In a set of passenger advisory guidelines, the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI) on Friday said that passengers will have to upload their negative RT-PCR test report via ‘Air Suvidha Portal’ on the airport’s official website before boarding in the UK.

    “The RT-PCR must be conducted within 72 hours before undertaking the journey,” the guidelines stated, adding that passengers taking the test at the Airport will have to shell out Rs 3,400 for a test and lounge.

    It may take up to 10 hours for the test results at IGI’s Terminal 3.

    After the RT-PCR test in Delhi, all passengers will have to undergo seven days of institutional quarantine, followed by seven at home.

    Flights from the United Kingdom resumed on Friday in a limited capacity. Thirty flights will operate each week – 15 each by Indian and UK carriers. This schedule will continue till January 23, Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri had informed earlier.

    The ban on flights to the UK was lifted on January 6.

    A total of 82 persons were found with the new mutant variant of coronavirus so far, informed the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) on Friday.

    “The total number of cases infected with the new strain of the novel coronavirus, first reported in the UK, now stands at 82,” the Ministry said in a statement. 

  • Can Covaxin work against new strain? ICMR studies

    By Express News Service
    NEW DELHI: As the number of people identified as carrying the UK variant of Covid-19 strain reached 82, experiments began at the ICMR’s National Institute of Virology to assess whether Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin can neutralise the new strain.

    Covaxin, which has been jointly developed by Bharat Biotech and the ICMR, had received the restricted emergency use authorisation by the apex drug regulator in India along with Oxford University-AstraZeneca’s Covishield, being manufactured in India by the Serum Institute of India. 

    The approval of Covaxin, which is still under phase 3 trial in the country, had triggered a torrent of criticism, but a key reason cited by the drug regulator had said that the REU was being granted in the wake of the mutation in Covid-19 that makes it more transmissible.

    This confidence was based on the argument by the firm which stressed that Covaxin can generate antibodies against multiple proteins instead of spikes alone which in theory suggests that it might have a better chance against the mutated variants.

    “The understanding is that for protection from the variant strains a whole virus vaccine has a better chance as compared to subunit vaccine or only spike protein-based or receptor-binding domain-based vaccines,” a senior official at the ICMR told this newspaper. 

    “To check whether that happens, we will use the vaccine using the culture of virus variants, cell lines and the vaccine,” he added. However, some experts expressed their apprehensions that such an experiment can only be in-vitro neutralisation data — comparing between the UK or South Africa strain and the Covid-19 strains that have remained dominant so far.

    “What is needed, at least, is to use say sera from RBD vaccine immunised individuals and whole virus vaccine immunised individuals and see if the former group is extremely poor in blocking the variant viruses,” said a virologist from a government institution who did not wish to be named.

    Positive signPfizer on Friday announced that the Covid-19 vaccine it has developed appeared to work against a key mutation in the transmissible new variants of the coronavirus, as per a laboratory study 

    PM Modi to meet CMs ahead of vaccine rollout

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold a meeting with chief ministers of all states on Monday ahead of the roll out of Covid-19 vaccines in the country, government sources said on Friday. Two vaccines — one each by the Serum Institute of India and the Bharat Biotech — have been granted the restricted-use authorisation by the Drug Controller General of India.

    By July, the Centre is hoping to get about 30 crore population inoculated against Covid-19. Officials, meanwhile, said the second dry run on Friday had been without any major glitches and indicated that states were ready for the actual exercise. 

  • UK-returned Indore man first to test positive for new Covid-19 strain in MP

    Express News Service
    BHOPAL: A young man in Indore has become the first Madhya Pradesh resident to have tested positive for the new coronavirus strain, first reported in the UK. 

    Confirming the development, highly-placed sources at the state health department in Bhopal said on Friday that out of the two samples sent from Indore to the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) Delhi, one sample has been found positive for the new strain of COVID-19.

    The intimation about the positive report was made by NCDC Delhi to the MP Health Department on Thursday evening, following which the Indore district administration has been alerted to act as per existing safety guidelines and SOP pertaining to the new strain. 

    According to informed official sources in Indore, the young man had returned home from the UK in the first week of last December. 

    Much to the surprise of the health department, he had tested COVID-19 positive around a fortnight after his return from the UK. His family members, however, had tested negative.

    “Being asymptomatic, he was put under home isolation for 14 days after testing positive and one of his sample reports tested negative after completion of home isolation period on Thursday” a health department source in Indore said.

    As the SOP pertaining to the new COVID-19 strain requires two consecutive negative test results within 24 hours to release a patient, the health department is awaiting his second test report of samples taken in the last 24 hours. “His first test report has come negative on Thursday, we’re now awaiting his second test report as per the SOPs, ” a health department official said. 

    So far, 332 UK returnees in MP have been traced and tested for the virus. Out of them, five, including two from Indore, have tested positive. Indore, which is the most populated city of MP, has so far reported maximum of 56,254 COVID-19 positive cases and 902 deaths. Around 53,000 patients have so far recovered.

  • New COVID-19 strain: Centre allows limited resumption of flights to, from UK

    By ANI
    NEW DELHI: Union Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Tuesday said that the government is reviewing the situation and it has allowed limited resumption of civil aviation with the United Kingdom.

    “We took a decision on limited resumption of civil aviation traffic between India and the United Kingdom based on an assessment of available facts as available with our medical professionals. We decided that RT-PCR test which was done 72 hours ahead of travelling was not enough,” Puri told ANI.

    “So, we made it compulsory to test again on arrival. We will review the situation if any steps have to be taken. So far it is the limited resumption of civil aviation with the UK. The total number of flights to UK has been reduced from 60 a week to 30,” he added.

    “If the situation demands that we need to take more steps, we are constantly reviewing the situation,” the minister added.

    When asked to comment on the new strain of COVID-19 detected in the UK, Puri said: “Our medical professionals clearly stated that the vaccines which are coming will take care of the new strain. We are capable in terms of procedures and SOPs in place dealing with it. When the new evidence comes up, our professionals will look at it.”

    The Union Minister had earlier informed that resumption of flights between India and UK from January 6.

    “Resumption of flights between India and UK: India to UK from 6 Jan 2021. UK to India from 8 Jan 2021. 30 flights will operate every week. 15 each by Indian and UK carriers. This schedule is valid till 23 Jan 2021. Further frequency will be determined after review,” he tweeted.

    A total of 38 samples have been found to be positive with the new UK variant genome of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, confirmed the Union Health Ministry on Monday. 

  • ‘New COVID strain spreading in India’: Rajasthan CM Gehlot urges Centre to rethink revival of UK flights

    Express News Service
    JAIPUR: Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has asked the Centre to rethink the plan to resume flights from the UK.

    Gehlot reminded the Centre that India was late in banning international flights in early 2020 when COVID-19 had started spreading which ultimately led to a huge crisis in the country. 

    In Sri Ganganagar district, 3 people of one family who had returned from the UK on December 18 have been confirmed to be infected with the new coronavirus strain in the UK. They are currently being treated at a government hospital in the district. 

    In a tweet, Gehlot remarked: “Cases of the new strain of coronavirus emerging in the UK are rising rapidly in India is a matter of great concern. The GoI must rethink the earlier decision to revive flights from the UK from January 7. In January 2020, if we had banned international flights when COVID-19 had started spreading, we may not have seen the critical situation that we now see in the country.” 

    In a second tweet, Gehlot asserted: “The GoI must ensure that the revival of flights from the UK does not create the kind of crisis that the new Corona strain does not lead to the same crisis as in the past.”   

    Dozens of countries have put in place travel restrictions to and from the UK owing to the new and more contagious variant of the novel coronavirus reported in Britain. 

    Due to the new strain of novel coronavirus in the UK, Britain has issued “stay at home” orders and the entire country is now in lockdown.

  • All passengers from UK to be tested for COVID-19 on arrival between January 8-30: Health Ministry

    By Express News Service
    NEW DELHI: The passengers reaching India from the UK between January 8 and January 30 will have to carry negative RT-PCR tests and will be subjected to selfpaid Covid-19 tests on arrival, the Centre said in a standard operating procedure issued on Saturday. Travellers from the UK will need to get their negative reports from tests done 72 hours prior to the journey, as per the guidelines. India had suspended all flights to and from the UK from December 23 to 31 to check the spread of the mutated and more contagious variant of coronavirus found there. Later, the suspension was extended till January 7.

    ALSO READ: First jab of COVID-19 vaccine barely a few days away in India

    The restrictions however will be relaxed from January 8 and 30 flights per week will operate between India and the UK in an arrangement that will continue till January 23. “Airlines to ensure the availability of negative test reports before allowing the passenger to board the flight,” the health ministry’s SOP said, adding that adequate arrangements should be made for the passengers who will be waiting for their RT-PCR test or its results at the airport.

    “Passengers testing positive shall be isolated in an institutional isolation facility in a separate (isolation) unit coordinated by the respective state health authorities,” the SOP said. If the genomic sequencing indicates the presence of the new variant of SAR S-CoV-2, the patient will continue to remain in a separate isolation unit, as per the guidelines. The patient will be tested on the 14th day after having tested positive and he or she will be kept in the isolation facility till his or her sample has tested negative, it added.

    ALSO READ: COVID vaccine dry-run kicks off, Kerala Health Minister says state ready for vaccination drive

    If a passenger tests Covidpositive on arrival, passengers seated in the same row, three rows in front and three rows behind would also be subjected to institutional quarantine in separate quarantine centres, as per the planned protocol. The passengers who are found Covid-negative after the tests conducted at the airport would be advised home quarantine for 14 days and the concerned state or district administration should regularly follow up with them.