New Delhi: The battle with coronavirus has intensified after the UK reported a new strain of the virus. Now six cases of the mutant strain of coronavirus have been detected in India. According to an official statement, 6 UK returnees have been found to be positive with the new variant genome.\While 3 cases were reported in NIMHANS, Bengaluru, 2 was detected in CCMB, Hyderabad, and 1 in NIV, Pune.

Those found positive with the mutant strain have now been kept in single room isolation. Close contacts have also been put under quarantine. Contact tracing has also started for co-travellers, family contacts and others.

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According to the statement, from 25th November to 23rd December 2020 midnight, about 33,000 passengers disembarked at various Indian airports from UK. All these passengers are being tracked and subjected by States/UTs to RT-PCR tests.'

So far only 114 have been found positive and these results were sent labs for genome sequencing. From this six cases were found with the new strain that was first discovered in UK.

The mutant Coronavirus strain has forced India to suspend flights from the UK till December 31st including the flights operated under Vande Bharat Mission. Based on the observations so far, the authorities believe that the new Covid strain is 70 per cent more infectious than the previous strains, which makes it more dangerous. One is more likely to catch the new virus than was the case with the older strains.  The treatment also remains similar to that in case of older strain and medical experts continue to rely on symptomatic treatment.