New coronavirus variant reaches Pakistan
A representative image of COVID-19 virus.
KARACHI: The new coronavirus variant, which first emerged within the UK, has been detected in Sindh and therefore the federal health authorities are updated about it, it emerged on Tuesday.
According to a Sindh Health Department statement, the health authorities took 12 COVID-19 samples of the united kingdom returnees for Genotyping out of which six were positive and three showed the new variant of the COVID-19 virus within the first phase.
“The Genotyping showed 95% match of the new variant from the united kingdom . These samples will undergo another phase of genotyping,” Sindh Health Department spokesperson Meeran Yousuf said, adding that the cases were identified in Karachi.
The provincial health department has informed Special Assistant to Prime Minister Imran Khan on National Health Services Dr Faisal Sultan of the event .
Meanwhile, the statement added, the contact tracing of those patients is in process and their contacts are being isolated also.
What can we realize new strain?
The new strain, mentioned by some experts because the B.1.17 lineage, isn't the primary variant of COVID-19 pandemic, but it's said to be up to 70% more transmissible than the previously dominant strain within the UK.
After British government officially announced the detection of the mutation, many countries, including Pakistan, have imposed travel bans on the united kingdom .
Pakistan revises travel restrictions
Pakistan announced its updated standard operating procedures (SOPs) for travel restrictions imposed on inbound travelers from the uk , after cases of a highly new infectious strain of the coronavirus rose across the ecu country.
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) announced Tuesday that Pakistani passport holders who are issued the Business, Visitor or Transit visas by British authorities can return to the country provided they show a negative PCR test.
The test, however, must are taken 72 hours before the beginning of their visit Pakistan, said the aviation authority.
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