West Bengal reports first case of mutated coronavirus strain

West Bengal reported its first case of a mutated coronavirus strain that emerged in the United Kingdom, taking the total number of such patients across India to 21, officials said today.

Besides West Bengal, 14 more London returnees tested positive for the UK variant genome of Sars-CoV-2 virus in other parts of the country, the Indian Health Ministry said. Eight have been detected in Delhi and seven in Bengaluru.

Earlier, six other UK returnees had tested positive for the variant considered much more infectious than other identified strains of coronavirus.

In West Bengal, the patient, the son of a senior official of the Calcutta Medical College and Hospital, tested positive for the mutant strain after returning from London, health officials said.

The youth, who tested positive for Covid-19 variant on his arrival in Kolkata ten days ago, is under observation. All those who have come in contact with him have been asked to isolate themselves, the officials said.

Six other persons who had come in contact with the youth at the airport tested negative for the infection.