Kerala on high alert after 8 from UK test COVID-19 positive

Kozhikode, December 26: In a major development, the Kerala health department goes on high alert after, eight people who have arrived here from the UK have tested positive for Covid 19.

 

 

 Their swabs have been sent to the National Institute of Virology, Pune for genomic analysis. Only after those tests, it will be known whether the patients were infected with the new variant of the coronavirus, SARS-Cov-2, circulating in the UK.

 

State Health Minister K.K. Shailaja told the media that the health department is on high alert and that the government has taken proper precautions on the same.

 

She said, "The samples of these persons who have come from Britain and tested positive have already been sent to NIV, Pune and we are expecting the reports from the premier virology institute". She further said, "If there is a change in genetic constitution of the virus it can be dangerous and we have to wait and watch and not to reduce our guard".

 

The Health Department is worried over a slight spike in Covid cases in the state for the past couple of days and the increase in test positivity rate. After the recent local body elections, the government is expecting a slight surge in cases.

 

Apart from Kerala, 14 people who returned to Karnataka from the UK in the last week have tested positive for COVID-19

 

The new variant of the virus, detected in parts of London and southeast England, has been spreading rapidly over the past few weeks and has now been traced in other parts of the United Kingdom.