What do the new travel guidelines say? Are existing vaccines in India effective against these strains?
The story so far: The central government this week confirmed the presence of three mutated variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus – from South Africa (four cases), Brazil (one case) and the United Kingdom (187 cases). The government then issued it a new set of guidelines for international travel. The new rules, which come into effect on February 22nd at 11:59 pm, were released on Wednesday and state that “this document needs to be reviewed from time to time based on the risk assessment”.
Why are the new pressures worrying?
The World Health Organization reports that the new variants have increased transferability. The strains from Great Britain, South Africa and Brazil have so far been detected in 86, 44 and 15 countries, respectively. “While India has stabilized its active COVID-19 cases, these new strains and any negligence could lead to a spike in the numbers,” said NITI Aayog member VK Paul.
Coronavirus | Challenges in developing and testing vaccines against variants
What do the new travel guidelines say?
While India does not offer direct flights from South Africa and Brazil, all international travelers arriving from or flying through the UK, Europe and West Asia must submit an online self-declaration form with a negative COVID-19 report. and mention your travel history for the past 14 days. You also need to mention whether you want to get off at the arrival airport or take other flights within India.
The airlines are required to identify travelers arriving from or through the UK from the UK, South Africa and Brazil and separate them during travel and disembarkation. These travelers must hand in their samples for testing before leaving the airport. If they test positive, they must undergo treatment according to standard health protocols, the SOP says. The guidelines state that suspect contacts are fellow passengers seated in the same row, three rows in front and three rows in the back, along with identified cabin crew. Community contacts of travelers who tested positive (during the quarantine period at home) would be institutionalized for 14 days in separate quarantine centers and tested according to the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) protocol.
International travelers must submit a self-declaration form and upload a negative COVID-19 RT-PCR report prior to their trip. The test was carried out 72 hours before departure. Passengers must also provide a declaration of authenticity of the report. Otherwise, they will be prosecuted. Only those traveling to India for emergencies such as the death of a family member are allowed to arrive without a negative report. However, you should apply for a waiver 72 hours before boarding the online portal.
Coronavirus | The UK’s mutant variant is of concern as it could undermine vaccines, the scientist says
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare stated this in consultation with the Ministry of Civil Aviation has issued these guidelines after reviewing the situation with regard to measures at the point of entry and that these measures have been taken to minimize the risk of importing mutant strains of the virus.
How many cases has India recorded?
The ICMR said the South African variant, which first appeared independently in the country in mid-December 2020, has experienced several mutations, including the spike protein’s receptor binding domain. Currently, the majority of cases in South Africa can be traced back to this variant. In India, the strain was found in four different returnees from South Africa in January 2021 – one each from Angola and Tanzania and two from South Africa, said ICMR Director General Balram Bhargava.
He added that the first six cases of the British tribe in India were reported in the last week of December 2020.
Coronavirus | A virus that changes stripes
Regarding the Brazilian tribe, the ICMR noted that it appeared independently in Brazil in early January 2021 and is related to the surge in cases in Brazil, particularly Manaus. “Mutations in the receptor binding domain of the spike protein have been detected and increased transferability has been shown. India discovered a case of this variant strain in a Brazilian returnees in the first week of February, ”said Dr. Bhargava.
Are existing vaccines in India effective against these strains?
Regarding the UK variant, the ICMR said the neutralization potential is consistent with other heterologous strains of virus in India and the vaccines we have.
Research is currently underway for the other two variants. “The ICMR-National Institute for Virology (NIV) is trying to isolate and cultivate the South African strain,” said Dr. Bhargava. The Brazil strain has been successfully isolated and cultured at ICMR-NIV, Pune, and experiments are ongoing to evaluate the effectiveness of the vaccine, he added.
Coronavirus | Clinical Studies Show India’s Vaccines Will Be Effective Against COVID-19 Variants: ICMR
How are the variants monitored?
In order to regularly monitor the genomic variations in SARS-CoV-2 via a network with several laboratories, India has set up the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG), which comprises 10 laboratories. “The consortium will determine the status of the new variant of SARS-CoV-2 in the country, set up sentinel monitoring for the early detection of genomic variants with an impact on public health and determine the genomic variants in the unusual events / trends (super – spreading events, Trend areas with high mortality / morbidity etc.) ”, said Dr. Bhargava. “The knowledge gained through this important research consortium will continue to contribute to the development of diagnostics and potential therapeutics and vaccines.”
This story is only available to Hindu subscribers.
Subscription benefits include:
Today’s paper
In a clear list you will find a mobile-friendly version of articles from the daily newspaper.
Unlimited access
Enjoy reading as many articles as you want with no restrictions.
Personalized recommendations
A selected list of items that match your interests and preferences.
Faster pages
Switch between articles smoothly as our pages load instantly.
dashboard
A one stop shop to see the latest updates and manage your settings.
Instruction
We will inform you three times a day about the latest and most important developments.
Unconvinced? Know why you should pay for messages.
* Our digital subscription plans currently do not include e-paper, crosswords, and print.
