Covid: 11 Omicron subvariants found in international travellers; all earlier reported in India, says report
Of 19,227 international travellers tested from Dec 24-Jan 3, 124 were Covid positive, says report
- Jan 5, 2023,
- Updated Jan 5, 2023 3:04 PM IST
India detected a total of 11 subvariants of COVID-19 in international travellers who arrived in the country during December 24 to January 3, said a report on Thursday.
Health ministry sources told PTI all these variants have been earlier reported in India
The variants detected were all sublineages of Omicron variant of COVID, including the BA.5.2 subvariant and a sublineage of BF.7 subvariant that were driving China's recent coronavirus outbreak. Hundreds of COVID-19 variants are currently circulating globally, but a handful that are of concern and are being monitored.
Of the 19,227 passengers who were tested for COVID-19 during the period, 124 were found positive, the sources said. The sources said that of the 124 positive samples, genome sequencing results of 40 were received of which XBB, including XBB.1, was found in 14 samples and BF 7.4.1 in one sample.
Centre has made a COVID-19 negative test mandatory for arrivals from China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Thailand. The new requirement is in addition to the random tests on 2% of all international passengers arriving in India.
Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya has urged citizens not to panic unnecessarily but remain alert and follow the directives issued by the government.
Meanwhile, four new cases of Omicron subvariant BF.7 were detected in West Bengal, according to a health official. Three out of the four detected are members of the same family while one is from Bihar and currently resides in Kolkata, as per reports. All four of them had recently returned from the US and their samples were sent for genome sequencing, which confirmed that they were infected with the new variant of the coronavirus.
India detected a total of 11 subvariants of COVID-19 in international travellers who arrived in the country during December 24 to January 3, said a report on Thursday.
Health ministry sources told PTI all these variants have been earlier reported in India
The variants detected were all sublineages of Omicron variant of COVID, including the BA.5.2 subvariant and a sublineage of BF.7 subvariant that were driving China's recent coronavirus outbreak. Hundreds of COVID-19 variants are currently circulating globally, but a handful that are of concern and are being monitored.
Of the 19,227 passengers who were tested for COVID-19 during the period, 124 were found positive, the sources said. The sources said that of the 124 positive samples, genome sequencing results of 40 were received of which XBB, including XBB.1, was found in 14 samples and BF 7.4.1 in one sample.
Centre has made a COVID-19 negative test mandatory for arrivals from China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Thailand. The new requirement is in addition to the random tests on 2% of all international passengers arriving in India.
Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya has urged citizens not to panic unnecessarily but remain alert and follow the directives issued by the government.
Meanwhile, four new cases of Omicron subvariant BF.7 were detected in West Bengal, according to a health official. Three out of the four detected are members of the same family while one is from Bihar and currently resides in Kolkata, as per reports. All four of them had recently returned from the US and their samples were sent for genome sequencing, which confirmed that they were infected with the new variant of the coronavirus.