With the State sending 42 samples for genomic analysis to the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune, Health Secretary J. Radhakrishnan on Thursday said arrangements were being made to send samples to two national institutes in Bengaluru — National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences and National Centre for Biological Sciences — to expedite the process.
“We had earlier sent 30 samples of U.K. returnees and their contacts who had tested positive for COVID-19 to NIV, Pune, for genomic analysis. Another 10 samples were sent on Wednesday, and two more on Thursday. As the next step, we spoke to the Central government and got the authorisation to send the samples to the two national institutes in Bengaluru to expedite the works,” he told reporters. Of the 30 samples, two results were known till now. While a sample of a Chennai resident had returned positive for the new U.K. strain early this week, the sample of a patient in Madurai has returned negative. “Genomic sequencing is a tough job. As of now, 28 samples are being run, and 12 more are on the way,” he said.
Four test positive
According to the bulletin issued by the Health Department on Thursday, four more U.K. returnees have tested positive for COVID-19. Till date, 24 U.K. returnees and 20 of their contacts were found to be infected. So far, 1,936 passengers who returned from the U.K. were traced and tested.
Though 1,853 of them have tested negative, as a precautionary measure 1,554 close contacts were traced and tested and all were found to be negative.
The Health Secretary said they were tracing the remaining passengers who had returned between November 25 and December 23. The department had arrived at a reconciled figure of 2,080 passengers. About 54 persons had returned to the U.K., while some of them, especially in Chennai and Chengalpattu, had provided different addresses.
He added that all U.K. returnees and their contacts who had tested positive for COVID-19 were isolated in separate wards and were stable. “According to doctors, there is no difference in the clinical manifestation in the existing COVID-19 and new variant. The Centre and the national task force has said that there was no need for changes in the testing and treatment protocols,” he said.
“The State government is taking measures to reduce the mortality rate due to COVID-19. On August 15, we had 120 deaths a day. Today, we are recording less than 15 deaths a day, except for a few days when it is 16 or 17,” he said.
The department has organised a massive awareness campaign on masks at the Government Medical College Hospital, Omandurar Estate, he said.
