UK strain in 1 of 90 samples from Mumbai, no other major variant in NCDC report
BySumitra DebroySumitra Debroy / Updated: Mar 4, 2021, 11:18 IST
(This story was first published in the Times of India on March 4, 2021)
MUMBAI: Out of 90 samples sent from the city on February 17, only one showed the
UK strain (B1.1.7), said preliminary reports shared with the civic authorities. Genome sequencing did not show any other significant variants at the moment. A final report is awaited.
Samples from three categories of patients in Andheri’s SevenHills Hospital mild, moderate and critical were sent to the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) in New Delhi to look for mutant strains that could explain the spurt in cases seen from February 10.
Representative image
MUMBAI: Out of 90 samples sent from the city on February 17, only one showed the UK strain (B1.1.7), said preliminary reports shared with the civic authorities. Genome sequencing did not show any other significant variants at the moment. A final report is awaited.
Samples from three categories of patients in Andheri’s SevenHills Hospital mild, moderate and critical were sent to the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) in New Delhi to look for mutant strains that could explain the spurt in cases seen from February 10.
“We have been told that only one sample has tested positive for the UK variant. No other major mutations have been found but we will wait for the detailed findings,” said additional municipal commissioner Suresh Kakani. The city has already dealt with three cases of the UK strain. “We could control it well,” he said.
After emergency use authorization for the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine by the FDA, nearly 4 million doses of the newest COVID-19 vaccine will be delivered to states starting Tuesday, March 2.
The second phase of Covid vaccination began today in India (File)
New Delhi:
Nineteen new cases of the UK, South African and Brazilian strains of the coronavirus have been detected in India taking the total number of infections of the more contagious variants to 213, the government said today.
The Health Ministry had said in its last report there was one case of the Brazilian variant and six of the South African strain in the country. Of the other highly infectious variety, the UK strain, there were 187 cases in India.
The government had said that people flying in from these countries may be tested more aggressively. A fresh set of travel guidelines had been issued after the highly infectious strains were detected in India. The new rules apply to all incoming international passengers except those from the UK, Europe and Middle East, the health ministry had said.
Lead scientist for Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine says one-dose strategy is working in U.K. Bookmark Please log in to listen to this story. Also available in French and Mandarin. Log In Create Free Account
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STEPHANE MAHE/Reuters
The scientist who led the development of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine says Britain was right to extend the interval between doses because the vaccine has been working so well.
Britain was among the first countries to approve a 12-week interval between jabs, instead of the recommended four-week interval, in order to make better use of limited supplies and immunize as many people as possible. Several other governments have followed suit.