J&K needs Genome Sequencing Lab. Experts worry about late arrival of test reports

Srinagar, Dec 12: In the absence of any Genome Sequencing Lab in Jammu and Kashmir, the samples of Covid positive patients sent for genome sequencing takes at least two weeks,  and sometimes even three to four weeks, enhancing the risk of greater virus transmission from a potential Omicron positive patient.

Top officials of J&K’s Health Department,  who spoke to the news agency Kashmir News Observer (KNO) on the condition of anonymity, said that reports of samples sent for genome sequencing are taking at least two weeks time to arrive.

The biggest risk is of community transmission of Omicron with limited  available data to devise containment policies and strategies on Omicron in J&K. If, for example, those who may have already got the Omicron variant are home quarantined and/or are in close proximity with family and community members, the risk of transmission is much higher, experts feel.

Latest reports from South Africa and the UK suggest that the rate of transmission of Omicron is much higher than the Delta variant, even as there is no significant spike in hospitalizations and fatalities as of now.

But scientists and Covid-19 advisers to the governments of the US, the UK and Germany have warned that even as the available data on serious illnesses and fatalities from Omicron suggests that things are not bad as of now, things can quickly unravel and that governments must prepare for that situation.

A top health official from Jammu said on the condition of anonymity that he can’t exactly tell out of the total number of Covid19 samples, that have been sent for genome sequencing outside J&K, how many reports have been received back, but he can say with certainty that it takes at least two weeks for the reports to arrive given that there are just a few such labs in the country where genome sequencing is being done.

“So, it depends upon the labs, if pressure is less on these labs then reports may come in around two weeks, otherwise it takes around one month,” an official said.

Another top official from the Kashmir division said that reports of samples sent for genome sequencing are now coming quickly as compared to the peak season of the second week.

“It takes around two weeks at least, which is less time,” he said.

Meanwhile, many independent health experts have also expressed their concern over such big delay in receiving the results of samples sent for genome sequencing.

“If a person comes Covid positive today through RT-PCR and his/her  sample is sent for genome sequencing on the same day, the report will come at least after 15 days. There is every likelihood that the patient would have recovered or faces complications till we come to know whether he/she was positive for the new variant or not,” experts said.

“The challenge is that if we get late  information that a patient is Omicron positive after the patient had recovered already or faces health complications uncharacteristic of the Delta variant how we will get the information necessary to understand the behaviour of the new variant?,” experts  ask.

At least four foreign travellers in J&K whose samples have been sent for genome sequencing remain in a fix as  their reports are yet to come.

Three from Jammu are under observation in DRDO hospital Jammu while one from Kashmir, who has travel history of Saudi Arabia, has been discharged from DRDO hospital Srinagar and sent for 10 day home quarantine.

— (With inputs from KNO and Ziraat Times team).