Punjab to send 5 pc of total positive samples per week to IGIB, NCDC to check new Covid strain

The Punjab Government has decided to send 5 per cent of total positive samples per week to Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (IGIB), National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and other premier institutes to check new mutated strain (N501Y) SARS-CoV-2 virus in the state.

Principal Secretary Medical Education and Research DK Tiwari on Wednesday said that in order to check the mutation of new mutated strain (N501Y) SARS-CoV-2 virus in Punjab, the state government has decided to send 5 per cent positive samples per week to IGIB, Delhi and NCDC, Delhi- Division of Biotechnology, Epidemiology and Central Surveillance Unit.

After the emergence of new mutated strain (N501Y) SARS-CoV-2 virus with high transmissibility, an advisory was issued by Government of India that the new strain could also be circulating in India too.

Responding to this, Tiwari said Punjab has sent random positive samples 80 from Viral Research and Diagnostic Laboratory (VRDL) GMC Patiala, 40 each from VRDL GMC Amritsar and VRDL GGMC Faridkot to check the emergence of new mutated (N501Y) SARS-CoV-2 virus strain to NIV Pune.

The Principal Secretary said that samples were selected from September to December 2020 adding that apart from that, all the passengers who came from UK were screened for Covid-19. He said that eight patients came positive for Covid-19 at VRDL GMC Amritsar and one at VRDL GMC Patiala and samples of these nine patients have been sent to NIV Pune for sequencing to check new mutated (N501Y) SARS-CoV-2 virus strain.

"Three viral testing labs, one each, in Government Medical Colleges have been pioneer in viral research during Covid pandemic. He said that after starting two labs at GMC Patiala and Amritsar in March 2020, third lab was started at Faridkot medical college."

( With inputs from ANI )