As Covid cases decline, Patna’s IGIMS focusses on research, policy decisions

Omicron remains the predominant variant, with 60%-80% having sub-variant BA 2.75 among the samples testing positive for coronavirus in Bihar

The Indian SARS-CoV-2 Consortium (Insacog) advised its 50 genome sequencing laboratories, including Patna’s Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (IGIMS), to upload its data on the Integrated Health Information Platform (IHIP) and the GISAID (Global Initiative on Sharing all Influenza Data) to facilitate research and help in framing policy decisions, said Dr Namrata Kumari, professor and head, department of microbiology at the IGIMS.

The IGIMS is the lone laboratory affiliated to the Insacog for genome sequencing in Bihar and Jharkhand. (File image)

“We have to upload data about the variant and sub-variant of coronavirus on the IHIP portal of the ministry of health and family welfare (MoH&FW). Simultaneously, we also have to upload on the GISAID portal the whole sequence of the genome sequencing we do,” said Dr Kumari.

Omicron remains the predominant variant, with 60%-80% having sub-variant BA 2.75 among the samples testing positive for coronavirus in Bihar, she added.

“The emphasis to update data online is far greater now, essentially to facilitate research, after the last peak in June-July this year,” said Dr Kumari.

“The positivity rate of Covid-19 cases has come down from 15%-20% in June-July this year to being almost negligible now. Hardly a couple of samples test positive out of the 800-900 samples we test for Covid-19 at our laboratory every day,” she added.

The IGIMS is the lone laboratory affiliated to the Insacog for genome sequencing in Bihar and Jharkhand.

Bihar reported 22 new cases of Covid-19 in last 24 hours on October 15, taking the total count of active cases to 177. Patna reported maximum 16 cases, followed by two in Vaishali and one each in Bhagalpur, Bhojpur, Munger and Muzaffarpur.

As many as 12,302 people have died of the total 8,50,890 persons testing positive for coronavirus since its outbreak in March 2020 in the state.