39 international travellers test Covid positive at Indian airports in 2 days

New Delhi, Dec 28
Thirty-nine people arriving in India from abroad have tested positive for Covid in airports across the country over the last two days, sources have told NDTV. In that backdrop, Union Health Minister Mansukh Man-daviya will visit Delhi's Indira Gandhi International airport tomorrow to take stock of the situation. Altogether, 6,000 people were tested randomly, under the fresh protocol following the Covid surge. The Government had said random tests will be conducted on two percent of people at international arrival section.
So far, 200 strains of the Covid virus have been detected in the country. Sources also said the BF. 7 strain, which is one of the four variants causing havoc in China, has also been isolated. The vaccines used in the country are seen as being effective against the variant.
The surge in China has been attributed to four variants of Coronavirus. The BF.7, he said, only accounts for 15 pc of the cases. The majority -- 50 pc-- is from the BN and BQ series, and SVV variant is 10-15 pc. The cocktail of viruses, however, behave differently due to local epidemiology. India gains because of "hybrid immunity"- a combination of immunity acquired through vaccines and natural infection through the first, second and third wave. In China, they have not been exposed to the virus before. "The vaccine they received is probably less effective, despite three to four doses," Mr Arora told NDTV.