As per the latest reports, India has successfully cultured the new coronavirus strain, that originated in the UK. In a tweet, the ICMR claimed that no country has yet reported successful isolation and culture of the UK-variant of SARS-CoV-2. Culture is the process by which cells are grown under controlled conditions, generally outside their natural environment. “UK-variant of the virus, with all signature changes, is now successfully isolated and cultured at the National Institute of Virology (NIV) from the clinical specimens collected from UK-returnees,” the ICMR said.
India successfully cultures the new viral strain on the horizon (UK-variant of SARS-CoV-2). #ICMRFIGHTSCOVID19 #IndiaFightsCOVID19 #CoronaUpdatesInIndia #COVID19 #Unite2FightCorona @MoHFW_INDIA @PIB_India @DrHVoffice @drharshvardhan @AshwiniKChoubey @icmr_niv pic.twitter.com/vaCMQMSHOJ
— ICMR (@ICMRDELHI) January 2, 2021
The research body said Vero cell lines were used by the scientists of ICMR-NIV to culture the UK-variant of the virus.
The United Kingdom announced that the new virus found in their population is 70% more infectious than before. Currently, 29 people have been tested positive for the UK variant in India.
The new United Kingdom variant genome of SARS-CoV-2 – B.1.1.7, which is much more infectious, has prompted comprehensive contact tracing for co-travelers, family members, and others of those who have traveled to the UK in the last 38 days.