Mumbai: Kasturba hospital’s genome lab set to trace Covid-19 variants

One of the two genome sequencing plants at Nair hospital

The BMC's genome sequencing lab at Kasturba was inaugurated on Wednesday and is set to help the city trace and track Covid-19 variants to check the virus's spread. The lab can test 384 samples simultaneously and results can be obtained within four days.

Amid the Covid-19 pandemic, various strains have emerged with different characteristics like ultrafast speed, serious symptoms, etc. Genome sequencing uses genetic formulas to identify different strains or variants of the same virus and helps track patients, trace high-risk contacts and treat them. Samples from across the country are sent to the National Institute of Virology at Pune but the results take two to three months due to the sheer number of samples to be tested. The delay does not contribute much to curbing the spread or treating patients.

Help from various groups

The lab at Kasturba will thus speed up treatment. Illumina, a US-based company, donated two genome sequencing plants worth R6.40 crore to the BMC through the US-based Albright Stonebridge Group (ASG-Boston).

"A former student of Nair Hospital, Dr Mehul Mehta, is an ophthalmologist at Howard Medical School in the United States and the CEO of the Albright Stonebridge Group. He played a key role in making the genome sequencing plant available. In addition, A.T.E. Chandra Foundation has also helped with R4 crore for the machines and the tests conducted by them," said a BMC official.

On behalf of the BMC, Suresh Kakani, additional municipal commissioner, Mangala Gomare, executive health officer, and Jayanti Shastri, head of department of microbiology, Nair Hospital, took efforts for the project. Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray inaugurated the project during the centenary celebrations of BYL Nair hospital.