ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s health ministry said on Tuesday it was evaluating five samples to confirm the presence of a new United Kingdom variant of the coronavirus in the country as part of a proactive effort to stem the spread of the virus.
There are five samples — two at the National Institute of Health and three at the Aga Khan University hospital in Karachi — which may be of the UK variant, based on preliminary analysis, the Ministry of National Health Services said in a statement.
“These results have to be confirmed through further analysis (whole genome sequencing) which will take some more days to complete,” the ministry said.
The ministry said that it was “closely following” the cases and would provide the necessary details in due course of time.
The United Kingdom reported the detection of a new coronavirus variant earlier this month. Preliminary analysis by scientists suggests the variant may be more transmissible but there is no evidence the infection caused by the variant is more severe.
The health department of the southern Sindh province said in a tweet on Tuesday: “Samples of 3 UK returnees show a 95% match to the new Corona Virus variant from UK in the first phase of Genotyping.”
The department said it had sampled 12 people returning from the UK, of which six tested positive and three showed a 95 percent match with the new variant, and would be sent for a second phase of genotyping.
“Meanwhile the contact tracing of these patients is in process and their contacts are being isolated also,” the provincial health department said.
Pakistan’s Civil Aviation Authority said on Monday it would extend until January 4 a temporary restriction on inbound travelers from the United Kingdom.
A slew of countries closed their borders to Britain last week over fears of a highly infectious new coronavirus strain that has heightened global panic and caused travel chaos.
Pakistan, India, Poland, Spain, Switzerland, Russia, Jordan and Hong Kong suspended travel for Britons after Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned that a mutated variant of the virus, up to 70% more transmissible, had been identified in the country. Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Oman also closed their borders completely.
Several other nations have suspended travel from Britain including France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Austria, Ireland, Belgium, Israel and Canada — although scientists said the strain may already be circulating in countries with less advanced detection methods than the United Kingdom.
Most scientists say the new variant has rapidly become the dominant strain in cases of COVID-19 in parts of southern England, and has been linked to an increase in hospitalization rates, especially in London and in the adjacent county of Kent.
While it was first seen in Britain in September, by the week of Dec. 9 in London, 62% of COVID-19 cases were due to the new variant. That compared to 28% of cases three weeks earlier.