Genome sequencing lab likely in Vijayawada

Amaravati: With the possible threat of Covid third wave and Omicron new variant, the state government has been making efforts to face the new variant. As part of the initiative, it is said to be planning to set up a genome sequencing lab in Vijayawada to help in identifying the genomic sequence of the Covid variant to prevent delay in receiving testing reports.

According to information, the state medical and health department has entered into an agreement with the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) for the establishment of the lab. The facility will be set up at the Government Medical College in Vijayawada next week.

Samples of about 15 per cent of the positive cases registered in the state so far were sent to the Hyderabad lab for genome sequencing. With the threat of the Omicron variant looming and many people coming from different countries landing in AP, the samples of those who have tested Covid positive are being sent to CCMB in Hyderabad for genomic sequencing to identify the variant. This leads to a delay in the release of results.

According to Health official sources said that if a lab was made available in Vijayawada it would speed up the process and avoid delays in reports being released. State medical and health authorities are laying special focus on people arriving from South Africa, Botswana, the UK, Hong Kong are other risk countries.

It may be noted that Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy recently conducted a review on the prevailing Covid situation in the wake of new variant and directed the officials to set up special medical teams at airports of Bangalore, Chennai and Hyderabad and screen people who are arriving in Andhra Pradesh.