KATHMANDU, Dec 28: After a few passengers arriving in Nepal from the United Kingdom (UK) tested positive for COVID-19, the government is mulling over sending their swab samples to foreign laboratories for genetic sequencing to confirm if they are infected with the new variant of the coronavirus.

In a test conducted at the state-owned National Public Health Laboratory (NPHL), a few samples of the passengers arriving from the UK tested positive for COVID-19.

“Following the development, the Ministry of Health and Population is mulling over sending their samples to foreign laboratories to confirm if they are infected with the new variant of the coronavirus,” said Dr Samir Adhikari, assistant spokesperson for the ministry.

The new strain of the virus is believed to be 70 percent more infectious. As the new strain of the virus is more infectious, more than 40 countries have already imposed travel and flight restrictions with the United Kingdom in view of possible spread of the new virus.

The government is preparing to send the samples to foreign labs – having collaboration with the World Health Organization – as laboratories in Nepal do not have the reagent required for genetic sequencing. However, private labs claim that they can carry out genetic sequencing in Nepal.

As the new strain of the virus has created panic, the government of Nepal has already imposed travel restrictions to and from the UK owing to the severe contagion of the new strain of the novel coronavirus discovered in the European country. The government has said that entry restriction will be effective until further notice.

According to the health ministry, at least 277 passengers – Nepali nationals and a few foreigners – arrived in Nepal from the UK before the government imposed the travel restrictions.

The government has already asked the passengers arriving from the UK between December 16 and 22 to quarantine themselves at hotels for ten days.

According to the Epidemiology and Disease Control Division (EDCD), the government is monitoring those arriving from the UK before the travel restriction was imposed. “The government is conducting PCR tests of those arriving from the UK,” Dr Basudev Pandey, director at the EDCD told Republica.

Earlier in January too, the government had sent swab samples of a student returning from China to a laboratory in Hong Kong for COVID-19 test. 

 
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