Teams of Genomic Researchers Identify 73 Novel Variants of Covid-19 Strain in Odisha

A team of genomic researchers from two institutes has identified 73 novelvariants of the COVID-19 strain in Odisha, its head has said. The researchers are from CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (IGIB), New Delhi and Institute ofMedical Sciences and SUM Hospital, Bhubaneswar, he said.

"The research team, which carried out sequencing of1,536 samples including 752 clinical samples, reported two lineages — B.1.112 and B.1.99 — for the first time inIndia," Dr Jayashankar Das, lead investigator and director (research) of the IMS and SUM Hospital, said on Friday.

If one gets to know the detailed character of the novel coronavirus, it will be very easy to treat patients and cure them, he said.

The research team, supported by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), validated the most-advanced COVID-19 sequencing technology. This could be apotential high-sensitivity assay for the detection of SARS- CoV-2 with the additional advantage of enabling genetic epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2, Das said.

With this study, India has beaten 12 organisations in10 countries to complete the first field validation and release the data online, he said, quoting a report by sequencing tech giant Illumina.

The IMS and SUM Hospital researchers are also undertaking the sequencing and analysis of 500 viral genomes to understand the mild, moderate and critical coronavirus infection along with its transmission capabilities, he said.

Besides, the study will help understand the vulnerability of the strains, new therapeutic target and new mutation in eastern India, especially in Odisha, Das said.

The rapid emergence of COVID-19 as a pandemic, which has affected millions of people across the world, hasnecessitated sensitive and high-throughout approaches for the diagnosis, surveillance and determining the geneticepidemiology of SARS-CoV-2, which will help in tracking strain information as well, he said. Asked about the difference between RT-PCR test and COVID-19 sequencing tests, Das said,

"The COVID-19 sequencingreports give the entire history of the coronavirus, while the RT-PCR tests only determine whether a patient is positive ornegative for the infection."