Health Ministry issues SOPs for surveillance, response to new COVID-19 variant detected in UK 

The Union Health Ministry issued standard operation procedure (SOPs) for the surveillance and response to the newly discovered mutated variant of COVID-19 in the United Kingdom. 

The Ministry noted that the new variant of SARS-CoV 2virus is more transmissible and is affecting the younger population. The variant is reported to have a set of 17 mutations. The mutations have made the virus more infectious and is spreading easily between people. 

Under its latest SOPs, the Ministry describes the activities to be undertaken at the entry point and in the community for all international passengers who have either travelled from or transitted through the United Kingdom in the last 4 weeks from November 25-December 23, 2020. 

Union Health Ministry issues Standard Operating Procedure for epidemiological surveillance and response in the context of new variant of SARS-CoV-2 virus detected in the United Kingdom. pic.twitter.com/S1O72rVsdr

— ANI (@ANI) December 22, 2020

SOPs: Key Highlights

•State governments will ensure that all passengers travelling from or transitting through US airport and getting off in India are subjected to RT-PCR test on arrival. If the result comes out to be positive then the spike gene-based RT-PCR test also has to be performed. 

•The passengers who test negative will be advised home quarantine. 

•All passengers testing positive shall be isolated in an institutional facility coordinated by state health authorities. 

a) If the report of sequencing is consistent with the current COVID-19 virus genome circulating in the nation then the ongoing protocol including home isolation or treatment at facility depending on the severity of the case will be followed. 
b) If the genome sequencing indicates presence of the new variant of COVID-19 then the person will remain in separate isolation unit. While following the existing the COVID-19 treatment protocol, the patient will be tested again on the 14th day and further sample will be taken until at least two consecutive samples taken 24 hours apart test negative.

•All concerned airlines will ensure that before check-in, the travellers are explained about the SOPs.