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According to the Sindh health department, 12 samples of UK returnees were taken for genotyping out of which six were positive and three showed the new variant of the Covid virus in the first phase.
Karachi (29.12.2020): Samples of 3 UK returnees show a 95% match to the new Corona Virus variant from UK in the first phase of Genotyping. #SindhHealth pic.twitter.com/4UUTSMTOQa
— Health and Population Welfare Department, Sindh (@SindhHealthDpt) December 29, 2020
“Twelve samples of UK returnees were taken for genotyping out of which six were positive and three showed the new variant of the virus in the first phase,” the ministry said in a statement on Twitter.
“The genotyping showed 95 per cent match of the new variant from the UK. These samples will go through another phase of genotyping,” it added.
“The contact tracing of these patients is in process and their contacts are being isolated,” it went on to say.
Pakistan has already banned all UK flights following the emergence of the variant virus.
Several other countries have taken similar measures. However, there is yet no evidence that suggests the mutation is more deadly.
Meanwhile, the country reported 1,776 fresh infections on Tuesday, pushing the overall caseload to 475,085.
Another, 63 patients lost their lives to the novel virus, bringing the death toll to 9,992.
Some 425,494 patients have so far recovered.
