New Delhi, December 22: The new strain of coronavirus, which has been detected in the United Kingdom, has not been seen in India, the government said on Tuesday. The new strain of coronavirus is said to up to 70 percent more transmissible than the original version. "The new strain or mutation of coronavirus seen in the United Kingdom has not been seen in India, so far," Dr VK Paul, Niti Aayog member (health) and head of the national Covid-19 task force, said. Vaccine Against New Coronavirus Strain Can be Developed in 6 Weeks, Says BioNTech.

Dr Paul also said there is no evidence that already developed vaccines against coronavirus cannot be effective against the new variant. "As of now, it (new coronavirus strain) has no impact on the potential of the emerging vaccines being developed in our country and are available in other countries," he said. "There is no cause for concern, no need to panic, as for now we need to stay vigilant," he added. No Evidence That New Variant of Coronavirus More Deadly, Says WHO Official.

Dr Paul also asserted that the new coronavirus variant doesn't seem more deadly. "The new strain of COVID-19 in the United Kingdom has increased transmissibility. This mutation is not affecting the severity of the disease. Case fatality is not affected by this mutation," he said. Yesterday, the Ministry of Civil Aviation announced that all flights from the UK to India will be suspended till December 31, with effect from Tuesday night.

On December 19, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson had announced that the newly-identified strain of the virus may be up to 70 percent more transmissible. According to Health Secretary Matt Hancock, the new variant was "out of control". "The government is alert. There is no need to panic. Do not get yourself tangled in the imaginary situation, talks and panic," India's Health Minister Vardhan said on Monday.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 22, 2020 04:41 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).