HYDERABAD: Two individuals who returned from UK, whose samples were sent to the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) Hyderabad have tested positive for the new mutated variant of COVID-19.
As per the Telangana Health department, one individual is from Andhra Pradesh while the other is from Telangana.
As per a press release from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Tuesday, a total of 6 samples analysed across various labs in the country have been found to have the new variant. Among these, two samples which were sent to the CCMB Hyderabad have the new variant.
The other positive cases with new variant was found in 3 cases in NIMHANS, Bengaluru, and one in NIV, Pune.
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The Telangana state Health Department had tracked nearly 90% of all UK returnees in the last 72 hours and tested them, and the positive samples were sent for genome sequencing to CCMB.
These persons have been kept in single room isolation in designated Health Care facilities across the state.
Their close contacts have also been put under quarantine. However nearly 156 of these UK returnees are yet to be traced as the contact addresses given by them are incorrect.
It may be recalled that as on date nearly 21 of the 1060 returnees have tested positive for the Covid-19 virus in Telangana and samples of 9 more are awaited.