E-Paper
81% of samples in Punjab confirm UK variant
Chandigarh: Of the 401 samples sent for genome sequencing from across Punjab, 81% turned up positive for the new UK Covid variant B
Chandigarh:
Of the 401 samples sent for genome sequencing from across Punjab, 81% turned up positive for the new UK Covid variant B.1.1.7 in the state on Monday.
These random samples were collected from various containment zones with high Covid-19 cases from all districts of Punjab between March 1 and 10. They were sent to a virology lab in Pune.
In January, the state health department sent 478 Covid-19 positive samples to National Institute of Biologicals (NIB), Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (IGIB), Delhi, and the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), for genome sequencing, of which results of 90 samples were received. Of those, only two samples were positive for N440K variant, also known as ‘Kerala’ strain. State health experts said ‘Kerala’ strain was the mutated strain of the virus spread in India.
In last week of February, a team from the ministry of health and family welfare, Government of India, visited Punjab to review the increase in positivity. The team was informed about the pending results of genome sequencing.
Thereafter, 401 more samples, collected between March 1and March 10, 2021, were sent to NCDC for genome sequencing. The results on Monday were worrying as they showed the presence of the B.1.1.7 variant in 326 samples.
The presence of UK strain was found in 12 districts of Punjab, including SAS Nagar, Jalandhar, Patiala, Kapurthala, SBS Nagar, Hoshiarpur, Gurdaspur, Amritsar, Ludhiana, Ropar, Bathinda and Taran Taran.
What does presence of UK variant mean?
“Such a high presence of UK strain is worrying as these samples were taken from all districts. This new strain is 70% more infectious than the older virus and that is why the speed of the spread is more in the second wave,” said Dr K.K Talwar, former director, PGIMER Chandigarh, and head of the state government’s Covid management group.
Stating that the new strain spread faster, Dr Talwar said that is why more young population and those going out for the job were getting infected in the second wave.
Notably, health department’s internal analysis, already reported by HT, has found that nearly two-thirds of Covid-19 patients in Punjab are aged between 20 and 60 (working-age population).
The trend suggests that people in the age bracket have a high rate of mobility as they have to venture out of their homes for work or other purposes. The figures also show that those aged between 31 and 40 are the most vulnerable to contracting the virus, with 17.2% of the total cases falling in the category.
Punjab’s active cases on Tuesday reached 19,423 with new infections in the last one week growing at an average of 1.1% every day. In September last year, when the state witnessed peak in the first wave, maximum active cases in the state was 22,778, as reported on September 22.
Talwar said in such a scenario only increase in vaccination and less movement of people can control the situation.
CM appeals PM to widen vaccination ambit
While disclosing the news about presence of the UK strain in large number of samples in Punjab, chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh appealed to people to get themselves vaccinated and urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to widen the vaccination ambit to cover those younger than 60. However, later in the day when the Centre issued new guidelines making everyone above 45 eligible for vaccination, the chief minister took to Twitter to thank the Centre for responding to his request.
