The samples of three more persons from Tamil Nadu, who tested positive for COVID-19 and are in hospital isolation, have returned positive for the new U.K. variant of SARS-CoV-2. With this, a total of four persons have tested positive for the new variant genome of the virus in the State.
According to Health Secretary J. Radhakrishnan, two U.K. returnees — a 21-year-old man and a 17-year-old girl — and a contact, a 48-year-old woman, have tested positive for the new variant. All are residents of Chennai and are undergoing treatment at the Government Corona Hospital (King Institute of Preventive Medicine campus), Guindy.
Earlier, a 25-year-old returnee from the country had tested positive for new variant in the State.
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The State has, so far, sent 44 samples of U.K. returnees and their contacts, who tested positive for COVID-19 for genomic analysis to the National Institute of Virology, Pune. The institute, on Monday evening, informed the State that three more persons had tested positive for the new variant, and eight persons negative.
Of the 44 samples, the results of 12 have been obtained, till date, while 32 are pending. He said the health of all patients was stable, and that they were being continuously monitored.