UK Strains In Odisha: All Patients Cured, Nobody Contracted Infection: ILS Director

Bhubaneswar: In a further clarification on detection of three mutant strains found in 5 samples from people who returned to Odisha from UK last year, the Institute of Life Sciences (ILS) has stated that there is no need for panic as the strains have not spread to anybody.

Speaking to media on Thursday, ILS director Dr Ajay Parida said all the patients detected with new strains have been cured and nobody has contracted the infection from them.

Besides, a person from Nuapada district, who had returned from Maharashtra, was found with double mutation variant. But Dr Parida said the mutation was not significant as it was a very old sample and no further infection spread has been identified.

The COVID-19 variants were detected from the samples taken from 181 people who had returned to Odisha from UK between November 31 and December 21. Seven of them had tested positive for coronavirus and the three strains were found in 5 of them, a TNIE report stated.

Apart from the seven samples sequenced at Pune, genome sequencing of 125 samples were conducted at the ILS, a part of the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Consortium on Genomics comprising 10 national laboratories, between December and March.

Five samples from Odisha have been found with the N440K variant that is associated with immune escape and one sample with the E484Q and L452R double mutation, which confer immune escape and increased infectivity.

Dr Parida also stated that the situation leading to spread of re-infection of coronavirus has not emerged in the state till now. “We are now sequencing 200 more samples from Odisha, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Bihar. The results are awaited,” he added.

On Wednesday, Additional Chief Secretary, Health, Pradipta Mohapatra had said, “The state government knew about the detection of the three UK strains in the state in December last year. But it was kept under wraps apprehending that people will panic.”

Also Read: Odisha Govt Knew About Detection Of Three UK Strains Since December Last Year!