20 Infected with New COVID Variant in India

A total of 20 individuals have been found with the mutant variant of SARS- CoV-2 virus reported from the UK. These include the six persons reported earlier, three in NIMHANS, Bengaluru, two in CCMB, Hyderabad and one in NIV, Pune.

The Health Ministry said 107 samples were tested in ten labs to detect the virus. Government has constituted the INSACOG (Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium) comprising 10 labs for genome sequencing. 

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 the INSACOG labs.