Let Govt Hospitals, Labs Do Genomic Sequencing Of COVID Samples: TN DPH

It is essential to gear up WGS of positive samples to track variants through Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium network, said Director of Public Health and Preventive Medicine TS Selvavinayagam.

Chennai: The Tamil Nadu government on Monday directed private hospitals and labs across the State to send COVID-19-positive samples to government lab for whole genomic sequencing (WGS) to monitor existing variants and detect newer variants.

With the spurt in cases in countries such as Japan, the United States of America, Korea, Brazil, and China, it is essential to gear up the WGS of positive samples to track the variants through the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) network, said the Director of Public Health and Preventive Medicine Dr T S Selvavinayagam.

In his latest directive to the private hospitals and private labs approved for conducting COVID-19 RT-PCR test to send the samples to the government labs for WGS, he said, "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."

With focus on 5-fold strategy of test, track, treat, vaccination and adherence to COVID-appropriate behaviour, he said Tamil Nadu has been able to restrict the transmission of the deadly virus and sees about 60 cases on a weekly basis.

He pointed out that the public health challenge of coronavirus still persists around the world with about 35 lakh cases being reported on a weekly basis. 

Citing the operational guidelines for revised surveillance strategy for COVID-19 issued by the Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry in June 2022 calling for early detection, isolation, testing and timely management of suspected and confirmed cases to detect and contain outbreaks of new SARS-CoV-2 variants, he said monitoring the trends of existing variants is crucial.

"In this context, we received guidelines from the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to do WGS for positive samples. I request that all samples of COVID-19-positive cases be sent on a daily basis to the State public health laboratory, Chennai, for genomic sequencing," said Dr Selvaginayagam. The government has appointed a nodal officer for WGS in the cadre of deputy director.