The super-infectious corona variant is sweeping across Britain with hotspots London and the East of England revealing the fastest growing outbreaks. The R rate figure is highest in East of England and in London, with a possible value of between 1.2 and 1.5. This means that every 10 people infected will infect between 12 and 15 more.
The variant has triggered ‘explosive’ outbreaks in schools, since children more susceptible to the variant. In fact, scientists have warned that the new strain – believed to be up to 70 per cent more infectious than normal Covid – will already be circulating 'in the vast majority, if not all' European countries, despite only a handful confirming cases, online reports said.
50% returnees may have the new strain
There is an even chance that half of those who have tested positive after coming from the UK may be potential carriers of the new Covid strain in India.
Thus far, 20 passengers from UK have tested positive. Overnight, six passengers who had arrived in two flights from the UK, which landed at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) late on Tuesday night, have tested positive.
Since these people have been detected, they are being quarantined and the infection is also being contained to that extent. But there is no point testing those who have come a month ago. ‘‘They may have already turned asymptomatic and spread whatever they had to others," an expert told India Today’s news portal.
