MOHFW urges States to be alert and intensify genomic surveillance

The Ministry has urged all the Indian States to be alert and intensify genomic surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 virus, which will enable detection of new Covid variants, if any.

Hyderabad: Due to the sudden spurt of Covid infections in China, Japan, USA, Korea and Brazil, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW) on Tuesday urged all the Indian States to be alert and intensify genomic surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 virus, which will enable detection of new Covid variants, if any.

In a letter to the States, MOHFW Secretary, Rajesh Bhushan said, “It is essential to gear up the whole genome sequencing of positive case samples to track the variants through lndian 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”.

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The States were requested to ensure that as far as possible samples of all positive cases, on a daily basis, were sent to the designated INSACOG Genome Sequencing Laboratories (lGSLs) mapped to the States and UTs.

The operational guidelines for revised surveillance strategy in context of Covid-19 issued by MOHFW calls for early detection, isolation, testing, and timely management of suspected and confirmed cases to detect and contain outbreaks of new SARS-CoV-2. Therefore, monitoring the trends of existing variants is of crucial importance, Rajesh Bhushan in the letter added.