UK strain: Demand for upgraded labs surge in Karnataka UK strain: Demand for upgraded labs surge in Karnataka ByJ Abbas MullaJ Abbas Mulla / Updated: Jan 8, 2021, 07:41 IST (This story was first published in The Times of India on Jan 07, 2021) HUBBALLI: With cases of a mutant strain of coronavirus from the United Kingdom being recorded across the state, the demand for upgraded laboratories is surging. During the initial days when Covid-19 cases were reported, Karnataka Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS) struggled to treat Covid positive patients due to the delay in getting test reports from Shimoga, Bengaluru and Pune. KIMS was eventually equipped with latest machines to test the swab samples. Subsequently, thousands of samples were tested and Covid patients received timely treatment. Now, when suddenly the new UK variant of Covid is in the news, health professionals and the public are demanding for an upgraded Viral Research Diagnostic Lab (VRDL) lab at KIMS to conduct test for the new variant before the situation turns worse.