E-Paper
District hospitals to now send all Covid positive samples for sequencing
District hospitals will have to send all Covid positive samples for whole genome sequencing as part of the increased surveillance efforts to track new and emerging variants of Sars-Cov-2 in the country.
District hospitals will have to send all Covid positive samples for whole genome sequencing as part of the increased surveillance efforts to track new and emerging variants of Sars-Cov-2 in the country, people familiar with the matter said, asking not to be named.
“This way it will be easier to keep a district-wise watch; the samples that INSACOG labs get will be a representative of a particular district, which in turn will help provide information on the types of strains in circulation in that particular area,” said one of the people, a senior government official.
The Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) is a consortium of 54 laboratories across the country meant to monitor the genomic variations in SARS-CoV-2.
The data from the genome sequencing laboratories is analyzed to study the linkages between the genomic variants and epidemiological trends.
India reported first case of Omicron subvariant BQ.1, a BA.5 sublineage that is driving the surge in US, from Maharashtra on Monday. This is known to be a highly immune evasive strain.
Another subvariant, XBB, which is driving the surge in Singapore, is already gaining ground in India with a member of INSACOG saying it accounts for at least 15-20% of the samples being sequenced .
Overall, BA.2.75 continues to be the dominant variant in India, this person added.
Amidst reports of the new subvariants having been detected from certain parts of the country, Union health minister, Mansukh Mandaviya chaired a high-level meeting of the country’s top scientists and senior officials from the ministries of health and science on Tuesday.
“Dr Mandaviya directed the officials to continue to focus on surveillance across the country, particularly through sentinel sites… and on Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) to scan for any possible mutation in the wake of identification of Omicron variants in other countries,” the health ministry in a statement on Tuesday.
Surveillance has also been strengthened at all international entry points, with random samples collected for Covid testing, of which all positive samples are sent for whole genome sequencing.
India is sequencing between 2,500 and 3,000 samples in a month and has the capacity of sequencing 10,000. The current seven-day average of cases in the country is around 2,500.
