Three test positive for new UK COVID-19 strain in Rajasthan

Sriganganagar: A total of three persons have tested positive for the new UK variant of coronavirus in Rajasthan's Sriganganagar district, an official said on Monday.

"Three persons have tested positive for the new UK variant of coronavirus. Their samples were sent to Delhi. All three have been shifted to the district hospital. Contact tracing and their sampling have been done. The area where they live has been sanitised," Hawaiian Singh, SDM Sriganganagar told ANI.

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 Health Ministry on Monday.

These persons have been kept in single room isolation in designated Health Care facilities by respective state governments and their close contacts have also been put under quarantine.

As per the experts, the new COVID-19 strain is more transmissible than other SARS-CoV-2 variants.

On January 2, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) said India has successfully isolated and cultured the UK-variant of Sars-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19 disease.

It is to mention that no other country has yet reported successful isolation and culture of the UK-variant of SARS-CoV-2, the ICMR informed.