GUWAHATI: The Assam Government is closely watching the issue and preparing for any eventuality in view of the reports of Covid-19 cases in China, Japan, and the US.
Given the unexpected spike in cases in the USA, Brazil, the Republic of Korea, and China, state Health Minister, Keshab Mahanta convened a review conference with senior state health and family welfare department officials.
“It is essential for us to gear up the whole genome sequencing of positive case samples to track the variants through the INSACOG network,” Mahanta said.
“Till now no Covid-19 cases have been detected in the state and the people have no reason to panic. We are preparing ourselves for the situation based on the experience of the past two and half years,” Mahanta said.
Over 50 laboratories work together as the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) to track Covid-19 virus genetic changes. Genome sequencing is a method for locating and analysing the traits of new viral strains.
Rajesh Bhushan, the Union Health Secretary, wrote to state governments asking them to ensure daily samples of all positive cases are sent to the designated INSACOG Genome Sequencing Laboratories (lGSLs) that are mapped to the states and UTs.
He said India, with its focus on a five-fold strategy of test-track-treat-vaccination and adherence to Covid appropriate behaviour, has been able to restrict the transmission of the Covid-19 virus and has around twelve hundred cases every week.
Principal health Secretary Abinash Joshi attended the meeting along with National Health Mission (NHM) mission director Dr MS Lakshmi Priya, Director of Health Service Dr Nilamadhav Das, Assam Medical Service Corporation Managing Director Rabindra Kumar, Director of Medical Education Dr Anup Kumar Barman, NHM Executive Director Dr Manoj Choudhury and other senior officials of health and family welfare department.
