CHANDIGARH: The UT health department has started gearing up for any rise in Covid numbers especially in view of cases of new variant JN 1 getting reported in the country. The health department will get genome sequencing of the patients done, so that the variants of the virus can be detected in time and preventive measures can be taken.
“We are increasing testing especially among those who have pneumonia, influenza-like illness and severe acute respiratory infection,” said director health services, UT, Dr Suman Singh.
But even after two-and-a-half years, the whole genome sequencing facility has not been started in Chandigarh.
“It is not mandatory for PGI to do genome sequencing. Anyway, PGI is handling the responsibility of mentorship for the Covid testing laboratory,” said Dr Mini P Singh of virology department, PGI.
Important to mention here that 12 different types of reagents are required for genome sequencing test, ome of which have to be procured in India and others from abroad. Claims of doing genome sequencing of 40 samples were also made by PGI in a war-room meeting in 2021. But as the Covid infection rate came down, all the claims were put to rest.
“Even after 2.5years, the situation remains the same. During the second wave of Covid, when patients of Delta Plus were found in the city, the administrator had directed the PGI to set up a genome sequencing laboratory soon,” said an official in the UT health department.
