Chennai: Tamil Nadu Dr.
Mgr Matlional University, which has a national accredited microbiology and immunological laboratory, will soon get all the Lab sequencing genomes, said Health Minister Ma Subramanian on Tuesday.
The laboratory, which will soon function, will track SARS-COV-2 mutations, the virus which causes Covid-19, he said.
After a review meeting with senior officials including Chancellor Dr.
Sudha Seshayyan, the minister said the university had accredited a laboratory for diagnosis and research on diseases such as chikungunya, dengue fever and leptospirosis and had conducted a RT-PCR test for Covid- 19.
“Now it has been decided that This university will soon have a whole genome sequencing facility, “he told reporters.
University officials told the health department that they had all the equipment needed and would be able to start working if they were given consumables.
Scientists predict that new variants of SARS-COV-2 can increase the chances of infection and make care and prevention more complex.
When viruses multiply, small changes or mutations accumulate in genetic code.
The Directorate of Public Health has proposed to form the entire genome sequencies lab to keep the path close to mutations.
Tamil Nadu sent a sample to Bengaluru-based Instem according to the central recommendation.
Instem is part of the insacog (LAB consortium that tracks the existence of variants in covid samples).
Countries that are categorized by samples from all countries in family groups, community clusters, Covid in children, young adults with severe lung infections, breakthrough infections (infected 14 days after two vaccinations), samples from the deceased and travelers.
“These categories will provide us more information about what variants are seen in each of these categories.
But having our own lab will give us a better advantage,” he said.
The variant which is a state’s concern has sent 1,159 samples to Instem.
The results of the Lab 1,100 from the sample with 814 (74%) tested positive Delta and four positive tests for the Delta Plus variant.
The remaining samples contain other variants including alpha and beta.
The National Institute of Virology, Pune, tested samples sent by the National Epidemiology Institute found six more positive samples for Delta Plus.
“At least five people in Chennai, three in Tiruvallur, each in Kancheepuram and Madurai brought Delta Plus tensions.
While they all recovered, 34 years old patients from Madurai died,” said Health Secretary J Radhakrishnan.
“Scientists told us that Most people carry a Delta variant in the second wave, “he said.