Delhi records first case of South Africa variant of coronavirus

A 33-year-old man admitted to Delhi’s LNJP Hospital has been
confirmed being infected with the South Africa variant of the novel coronavirus. The man was brought to the hospital about a week back and has been kept in isolation in a separate unit. The hospital had previously treated
COVID-19 patients infected with the UK strain as well, PTI reported.

It is further reported that the current case at hand is the
first confirmed instance of the South African strain being found in Delhi.

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“He is kept in a very different isolation area and was
brought here about a week ago and then tested. He came positive for the South
Africa variant,” PTI quoted unnamed sources as saying, also noting that the
man was initially asymptomatic, although his condition, currently, is unknown.

A month ago, the Centre had said that for the first time in
India, four people were detected with the South Africa variant of SARS-CoV-2
and one had tested positive for the Brazil variant in the country.

In India, the South Africa strain had been detected in four
returnees – one from Angola, one from Tanzania and two from South Africa in
January, ICMR Director General Balram Bhargava had said – adding all travellers
and contacts had been tested and quarantined.

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Three new variants of COVID-19, from the UK, South Africa
and Brazil, have been reported so far in India, Minister of State for Health
Ashwini Choubey informed the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.

On whether the people who have been infected once could get re-infected
by the new virus strain, Choubey said as per the World Health Organization, in
the three countries where the pandemic is being driven by the variant mutants
of SARS-CoV-2 virus, namely the UK South Africa and Brazil, the South African
and Brazilian variants have the potential to re-infect persons who have been
previously infected with SARS-CoV-2.

Also read: 3 new COVID-19 variants from UK, South Africa, Brazil reported in India

Recognising that the mutant variants of SARS-CoV-2 are
driving the pandemic in countries of their origin, namely the UK, South Africa
and Brazil, the government of India has revised its guidelines for
international travel to minimise the risk of importation and further spread of
these mutant variants in India, he said.