DPH directs to send Covid positive samples for genome sequencing

CHENNAI: The Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine has instructed the private hospitals in the State to send Covid positive samples to State Public Health Lab for genomic sequencing.

In view of the surge in the cases of Covid in Japan, United States of America, South Korea, Brazil and China, the state health department stated that the five-fold strategy of test, track, treat, vaccination and adherence to Covid-19 appropriate behavior has been able to restrict the transmission of Covid-19 virus and is having around sixty cases on a weekly basis.

Going by the 'Operational Guidelines for Revised Surveillance Strategy in context of Covid' issued by Union Health Ministry in June 2022, the department aims at early detection, isolation, testing and timely management of suspected and confirmed cases of Covid.

Therefore, monitoring the trends of existing variants is of crucial importance, DPH stated in a letter to the hospitals.

It is essential to gear up the whole genome sequencing of positive cases samples to track the variants through Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics consortium (INSACOG) network.

Such an exercise will enable timely detection of newer variants, if any, circulating in the country and will facilitate undertaking of requisite public health measures for the same.

The hospitals are requested to send all the samples of Covid positive cases on daily basis to the State Public Health Laboratory, Chennai for genomic Sequencing.