2-year-old UK returnee tests positive for new coronavirus strain in UP

A two-year-old girl who recently returned to Meerut with her parents from the UK has been found to be infected with the new Covid-19 strain.

This is the first such case in Uttar Pradesh of the new variant of Covid 19 virus which is said to be 70 per cent more transmissible than its previous form.

The parents of the two-year-old, however, have been found to be infected with the old Covid-19 variant, the health officials in Meerut said.

The child is in an isolation ward with her parents at Meerut's Subharti Medical College.

"A girl, who recently returned from the UK, has tested positive for the new Covid-19 strain in Meerut as per the reports received on Tuesday evening. Her parents have tested positive for Covid-19 too, but it is not the new strain. She has been kept in isolation," said Meerut's Chief Medical Officer Akhilesh Mohan.

Four members of the family had tested positive for Coronavirus earlier after which their samples were sent to Delhi to confirm the new strain.

Out of the four samples, the two-year-old girl's sample has tested positive for the new Coronavirus strain.

The family belongs to Sant Vihar of TP Nagar Police Station area. Their locality has been sealed while locals in the area are being monitored.

There has been several cases of the new strain including people who had recently returned from the UK to India and tested positive -- three in Karnataka, one each in Pune and Tamil Nadu and two in Hyderabad.

The new strain reportedly spreads at a much faster pace and has sent alarm bells ringing across the world.

Like many countries, India has suspended flights from Britain, where cases have soared because of the variant. People arriving from Britain before the ban came into force are being tested.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has directed officials to upgrade testing systems and prepare to check the spread of the new virus variant.

--IANS

amita/in