Ranchi: Eight Jharkhand RT-PCR testing facilities have been asked to send 300 samples of Covid-19 patients to the Institute of Life Sciences in Bhubaneswar every month for genome sequencing.
Referrals were issued by the State Health Secretary of Arun Kumar Singh, the day after the 364 genome sequencing was collected between January and March this year showed the prevalence of five different Covid variants in Jharkhand.
Secretary also attracted the management of this testing facility because it failed to send an adequate number of samples to laboratories regularly.
Facilities include Ranchi’s Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences, TB Sanatorium in Itki, the main hospital in Jamshedpur and medical colleges managed by the government in Dhanbad, Jamshedpur, Dumka, Palamu and Hazaribag.
“Previously, the genomic sequencing was limited to passengers who came from abroad and their contacts in the community through 5% (out of total) RT-PCR tests.
Now, under the revised guidelines issued by the Government, each Sentinel site must mandate 15 Samples to regional genome sequencing laboratories once every two weeks, “Singh wrote in his letter.
The sample to be sent must have a 25 or less CT value.
The results of the genome sequencing of the samples collected previously showed the prevalence of delta, alpha, kappa and several other variants.
However, Jharkhand was alert to the possibility of a surge in other infections in the coming weeks caused by the new Delta Plus variant, which was recently detected in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Kerala.
“It can be seen that the Delta Plus variant has recently increased its transmission, has stronger cell binding with lung receptors and causes the potential reduction in monoclonal antibody response.
Regular genome sequencing exercises with adequate sample representation is the only way to detect the existence of a variant That kind of, “said senior officials at the State Health Department.
Sequencing the previous sample genome collected from Jharkhand has demonstrated the highest prevalence of the Delta variant (55%).
Variants have been detected in India in October last year.