Bhaskar Original: 5% genome, sequencing is necessary to control infection, 0.10% is happening in the country, India is backward in genome sequencing, this is how the variant is identified

India has so far shared the sequencing of only 29,792 samples with the world, which is only 0.10% of the total cases found in India.

How fast the corona infection will spread depends on its variant. It is taking us more than two months to know how fast the new variant is changing, in which parts of the country and how dangerous it is becoming.

This is the reason why the deaths that happened two-and-a-half months ago from the Delta variant are now being confirmed. Whereas, on the other hand, countries like the US-UK share all the information about the new variant with the world in just two weeks, so that other countries become alert to the new variant and start preparations to deal with it. In India, the results of genome sequencing are not only being delayed, but samples are also being collected very less.

This can be gauged from the fact that India has so far shared only 29,792 sample sequencing with the world, which is only 0.10% of the total cases found in India, while WHO says that at least 5% of the cases. Sequencing is essential. The UK has shared more than 10% of the sequencing. Worryingly, India ranks 131st in the world in terms of sequencing to total patients.

this situation now
India is still the second most infected country in terms of daily patients, but has slipped to 131st place in the world in genome sequencing, the only way to detect dangerous variants.

that’s the big concern
So far, India has sequenced only 29,792 samples and shared it with the world. This number is only 0.10% against more than 3 crore patients registered in the country.

big reason for this
The total capacity in India is in only 10 labs in the US; Sequencing of 10.6% of samples has been done in Britain, this ratio is double the WHO guidelines

Australia tops, India trailing even behind Bangladesh

country sequencing
Sharing Australia 59.4%
Denmark 39.3%
Finland 12%
UK 10.6%
Norway 9.39%
Japan 6.68%
Switzerland 6.46%
Sweden 6.29%
America 1.76%
Bangladesh 0.20%
Sri Lanka 0.19%
India 0.10%

Genome sequencing report coming after 2 months in India, taking only 2 weeks in US and UK

Deaths that occurred two months ago from the Delta variant in India are now being confirmed, why is it taking so long?
Sequencing is completed in 15-20 days, but if a new mutant is seen, it is taking more than 2 months for its scientific confirmation. To see the trend of the mutating variant, two more samples are taken from the same site.
How is sampling done?
IDSP (Integrated Disease Surveillance Program), a district level body reporting to NCDC (National Center for Disease Control) selects the samples. Then virus RNA is extracted from the sample in the lab and tested. It is matched with the database to see if there are any new variants. Where the samples are taken, they are monitored. This shows whether the infection is spreading more or less.
Where does the sequencing take place?
There are 300 sentinel centers in the country. The samples collected there are sent to 28 sequencing labs across the country.
At what speed does the sequencing happen?
It takes a long time from the identification of a new mutant to its becoming a variant of concern. In the case of the Alpha variant, it took four months.
What is the sequencing capacity in the country?
Initially, the genome sequencing capacity was 30,000 per month. Then there were 10 labs. Now there are 28 labs. Capacity has also increased in the same proportion.
How many variants are available in the country?
So far 65 thousand samples have been taken. 45 thousand of them have been analyzed. However, the sequencing of 29,792 has been shared with other countries. More than 100 variants have been found. Of these, alpha, beta, gamma and delta are the only variants of concern.
How much genome sequencing is targeted in India?
The target is to do 5% genome sequencing by December.
How is work being done in countries like US-UK?
Sequencing is happening on a large scale in the US-UK. The total capacity of genome sequencing in India is as much as 10-12 labs in America. There are more than 100 such labs out there. In the US-UK sequencing, the new variant is being identified in just two weeks. Whereas, in India it is taking more than two months.