With 81 percent of the latest 401 samples sent by the state for genome sequencing testing positive for the new UK Covid variant (B.1.1.7), Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Tuesday urged people to get vaccinated, even as he urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to broaden the vaccination ambit to include those under the age of 60 because this mutant has been found to infect people under the age of 60.
Concerned about the developing situation, the Chief Minister emphasized the need for the central government to open up vaccination to a wider group of beneficiaries as soon as possible. He believes the procedure should be accelerated, citing the fact that experts discovered the existing Covishield vaccine to be similarly effective against the UK variant. He went on to say that more residents needed to be vaccinated in order to break the chain of transmission.
Captain Amarinder also advised everyone to strictly follow all Covid safety procedures, such as wearing masks and keeping social distance. If people do not follow the Covid proper behavior, the state government, which has already announced new restrictions, will be obliged to enforce even more restrictions, he warned.
The Chief Minister’s appeal came after the state’s Covid expert committee head, Dr. K.K. Talwar briefed him on the new variant’s progress in the state, which has seen an increase in the number of Covid-19 positive cases in recent weeks. The state health department had sent 478 Covid positive samples to NIB, IGIB, and NCDC for genome sequencing, with 90 samples receiving findings but only two showing the N440K variant.
Following that, a team from the Government of India’s Ministry of Health and Family Welfare visited the state to assess the rise in positivity. The team was alerted of the pending gene sequencing findings. Following that, 401 more samples were gathered between 1.1.2021 and 10.3.2021 and sent to NCDC for genome sequencing. According to Dr. K.K. Talwar, the results of these samples were concerning because they revealed the presence of the B.1.1.7 variant in 326 COVID samples.
The Chief Minister stated that Dr. Talwar told him that while this UK variant is more contagious, it is not more virulent. Additionally, the Oxford (Covishield) vaccine is likewise effective against the new UK variant.
It is worth noting that the B.1.1.7 variant is now easily spreading in many parts of the world, accounting for 98 percent of new cases in the United Kingdom and 90 percent in Spain. According to UK officials, it is up to 70% more transmissible than the original virus.
