Explainer: India reports six cases of new UK variant of coronavirus; know all about this new strain

Six people in India, who have recently returned from the UK have been detected with the new strain of coronavirus that first surfaced in the United Kingdom. The new strain is believed to be 70% more infectious and such cases have spiralled within days in the UK.

The new variant is considerably more transmissible than previous strains but not necessarily any more dangerous, experts say. Of the six, three patients are in NIMHANS, Bengaluru, two in Centre for Cellular & Molecular Biology, Hyderabad and one in National Institute of Virology, Pune.

All patients have been kept in 'single room isolation' in designated healthcare facilities by the state governments. People who have come in close contact with these patients have been put under quarantine. Comprehensive contact tracing has been started for co-travellers, their families and others, the government said.  

As per government data, around 33,000 passengers arrived from the UK between November 25 and December 23. Of them, 114 have tested positive for Covid. Genome sequencing for other specimens is on, the government has said. The states where these passengers arrived, meanwhile, is tracing them and their contacts for Covid RT-PCR tests.

News of the new variant triggered travel restrictions around the world last week. Several countries such as Canada, Japan, Spain, Sweden and France have all confirmed the presence of the new strain.

All you need to know about the new variant

- The new variant of coronavirus has been found to be 70% more transmissible than the old versions.

- This means that the new variant may increase the number of fresh cases alarmingly, which will lead to more people being quarantined or hospitalised.

- Scientists are of the opinion that the new variant is less lethal and that there is no prove yet that it would not respond to vaccine.

- Scientists say that all the leading vaccine candidates are good enough to work against the new variant of coronavirus.

- Scientists are of the view that the mutation in the coronavirus is not so markedly different to make it escape these vaccines.

- The new variant has been found to be affecting people in the age group of 30-60 years more. 

- In case of previous variants, older age group people were thought to be at greater risk.

- The new variant spreads through the same old ways. This means that wearing a facial mask, handwash, following personal hygiene and maintaining physical distance remains the principal ways to avoid getting infected.