A meeting of the NTF was held on Saturday where discussions were held on evidence-based modifications in testing, and treatment and surveillance strategies for Sars-CoV-2 virus. It was emphasised that since the UK variant strain is implicated to cause increased transmissibility of the virus, it is critical to identify individuals infected with this strain and adequately contain them to prevent its transmission in India. The NTF concluded that there is no need to change the existing treatment protocol in view of mutations emerging in the strain. “It is proposed to continue enhanced genomic surveillance for early detection and containment of the UK variant SARS-CoV-2 strains. However, it is important to understand that like all other RNA viruses, SARS-CoV-2 will continue to mutate,” the ministry said.

Source: Hindustan Times December 27, 2020 02:59 UTC