Not a single person having returned from the United Kingdom (UK) to Odisha has been found with that country’s mutated strain so far, informed the Health & Family Welfare Department on Thursday.“The mutated strain of SARS-CoV-2 was not detected in any of samples in Odisha,” said the department’s Additional Chief Secretary.
A total of six samples of UK returnees had been sent to Pune and Delhi for genome sequencing. The test reports showed that any of the samples was not carrying the UK strain.The reports of three more samples sent to the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune, would reach within two to three days, informed RMRC, Bhubaneswar, Director Dr Sanghamitra Pati.
A total of 188 persons have returned to Odisha from the UK, of whom 179 have been traced by the Health Department. Of the total samples of UK returnees and their contacts, seven have tested Covid-19 positive.
A total of 204 UK returnees and their contacts have undergone RT-PCR test. The department is trying to reach out to others, who are still untraceable after they returned.