Surveillance of genome to hint new COVID variant

Express News Service
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Anticipating a bigger unfold of the brand new variant of Covid-19 within the state than the earlier estimate, the well being division has determined to provoke a genome surveillance to hint and comprise the extremely contagious type of the virus.

Samples of individuals with excessive viral load detected throughout RT-PCR checks will likely be despatched to the CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Interactive Biology in Delhi for genome sequencing. 

The state has been on excessive alert after six returnees from the UK examined constructive for the mutant variant of Covid-19. “The government has given the sanction for the project. It will start immediately after the ethics committee in Kozhikode gives clearance for using the samples,” stated a supply. 

Health Minister Okay Okay Shailaja has requested the returnees for a voluntary disclosure of their Covid-19 standing, whereas the division has launched into a bigger contact tracing measures together with the relations, co-passengers and contacts on the airport.  “The testing of S-gene in RT-PCR has been found to be effective in UK in finding the presence of new strain in large number of people. We should also adopt similar strategies,” stated Dr Arun N M, who has been carefully following the pandemic state of affairs within the state. According to him, the absence of S-gene in RT-PCR has a excessive correlation with the detection of recent pressure.