COVID-19: Health Ministry issues SOPs for surveillance, response to variant detected in UK

Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has issued Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for Epidemiological Surveillance and Response after the emergence of the new variant of COVID-19 in the UK. The new mutant variant of COVID-19, which is said to be 70% more transmissible than the previous one, has caused a scare across the world with several countries including India shutting down air travel to and from the UK.

SOP over new variant of COVID-19

The SOPs highlight the activities to be undertaken at the point of entry and in the community for all International passengers who have travelled from or transited through the UK in the past four weeks i.e. from November 25 to December 23, 2020.

All the passengers travelling from or transiting through airports in the UK and disembarking in India during the intervening period from 21st to 23rd December 2020 would be subjected to RT-PCR test on arrival.

"All the passengers travelling from or transiting through airports in the UK and disembarking in India during the intervening period from 21st to 23rd December 2020 would be subjected to RT-PCR test on arrival. In the case of a positive sample, it is recommended that spike gene-based RT-PCR test should also be performed. Passengers testing positive will be isolated in an institutional isolation facility in a separate (isolation) unit coordinated by the respective State Health Authorities. Necessary action to send the samples to National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune or any other appropriate lab for genomic sequencing will be initiated at the facility level," a statement from Health Ministry read.

If the genomic sequencing indicates the presence of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 then the patient will be kept in the separate isolation unit and treated as per the clinical protocol. Those who are found negative on testing with RT-PCR at the airport would be advised quarantine at home. Prior to check-in, the traveller will be explained about this SOP and In-flight announcements must also be made," the statement read further.

International travellers from the UK who arrived in India since last one month will be contacted by District Surveillance Officers and monitored in the community, the statement added. 

The SOP by the health ministry includes actions to be taken at International Airports, Bureau of Immigration and surveillance by State Governments/ Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme.

World reacts to mutant COVID-19

The Civil Aviation Ministry suspended flights to and from the UK starting from Tuesday 11.59 pm to December 31 11.50 pm as a preemptive action against the entry and spread of the mutant Coronavirus in India. About 40 countries including India have suspended air travel to the UK in the wake of the new variant of the virus. European Union nations including France, Italy and Germany have halted flights from the UK, followed by Canada, Israel, Iran Netherlands. However, France has eased the travel ban after the European Commission urged the member states to lift the ban on travel to the UK.

READ | New COVID-19 Strain: Everything About The New Variant Of Coronavirus Spreading Rapidly

The new variant has caused a second wave of COVID-19 in South Africa as nearly 90% of the samples tested in the country contain the new strain.

The new strain of Coronavirus is more dominating than the previous one, according to the experts. The British government’s chief scientific adviser Patrick Vallance reportedly said that the strain “moves fast and is becoming the dominant variant” causing over 70% of the infections in the country. This variant is estimated by the European Center for Disease Control (ECDC) to be more transmissible and affecting the younger population.

READ | Mutant Covid Spreads Faster, Hence We Decided To Ban UK Flights: Aviation Min Hardeep Puri

READ | New COVID-19 Variant Detected In South Africa: Everything You Need To Know About It