UK variant of coronavirus reaches Pakistan

KARACHI: Health authorities in Pakistan on Tuesday announced that based on preliminary analysis, five persons who recently returned from the United Kingdom could be infected with the new strain of coronavirus that originated in the UK, saying these results have to be confirmed through complete genome sequencing, which will take a few more days.

They said three of these samples were analyzed at the Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH), Karachi, where genome sequencing showed 95 percent matching with the new strain that emerged in the UK, dubbed as ‘SARS-CoV-2 B117’ or ‘VOC-202012/01’. Two samples were analyzed at the National Institute of Health (NIH), Islamabad.

Advising people not to be afraid of the ‘new variant’, authorities said although preliminary analysis suggests this particular variant ‘may be more transmissible’ but added that there is no evidence available to suggest that the infection caused by this variant is more severe.

The Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM), Dr. Faisal Sultan, who is an infectious diseases specialist himself, had earlier said that even the British authorities don’t have any strong evidence if the virus has become more infectious.

Officials at the National Command and Operation Center (NCOC), Islamabad, said viruses detected from individuals coming from the United Kingdom are being evaluated at the selected laboratories for the presence of this new variant and based on this proactive approach, five samples taken from passengers arrived from the UK revealed the presence of the new variant of coronavirus.

They maintained that although these five samples matched with the new variant originating from the UK but complete genome sequencing of these samples was underway and once the process was completed, necessary updates will be provided in due course.

According to NCOC officials, authorities have taken a number of steps to prevent the spread of new variant in the country and on Dec. 21, 2020, the NCOC decided to limit and restrict travel from the UK to Pakistan only to certain categories of travelers and only under strict protocols that mandated a negative PCR test before the flight, a PCR test upon arrival in Pakistan and quarantine as prescribed by the authorities.

Moreover, track, trace and quarantine were also initiated for passengers who had arrived from the UK as far as seven days before the announcement of these travel restrictions, adding that these measures are in place until January 4, 2021.

On the other hand, officials of the Sindh Health department also confirmed that three of the six passengers who had arrived from the UK and tested positive for COVID-19 were infected with the new strain of SARS-CoV-2 B117, adding that genome sequencing carried out at the AKUH revealed that the virus found in the upper respiratory tract of three passengers was 95 percent similar to the UK strain.

“The Health department of Sindh took 12 COVID-19 samples of UK returnees for genotyping, out of which 6 were positive and 3 showed the new variant of the COVID-19 virus in the first phase. The genotyping showed 95% match of the new variant from the UK. These samples will go through another phase of genotyping. Meanwhile, the contact tracing of these patients is in process and their contacts are being isolated also,” Spokesperson of the Sindh health minister, Meeran Yousuf, said in a text message to The News on Tuesday.