Mumbai: Not enough samples for BMC's genome sequencing lab

A file photo of a Covid-19 patient in an ICU

Nearly two weeks after the BMC's genome sequencing lab became operational at Kasturba hospital, it is yet to carry out any tests. While the expensive genetic-level test requires samples meeting certain criteria, the civic body isn't getting them due to falling numbers in the city. Amid fears of another Covid wave, it has now decided to tweak its own rules to start the process, which can detect virulent variants of Covid. The genome sequencing lab became fully functional on August 4. It can analyse 384 samples simultaneously and produce results within four days. Each test will cost Rs 10,000- Rs 12,000.

A genome sequencing machine

As per the BMC's criteria, the samples are supposed to be collected from people who died after contracting Covid, patients who were seriously ill and discharged after several days in the ICU, a cluster of cases in a particular place and cases with foreign travel history. Samples meeting these conditions are expected to throw up trends on the spread of infection or lead to the discovery of new variants. Officials said there aren't many samples that are fit to be put to genome sequencing.

Also read: Eye on Covid-19 variants, genome study to be targeted in Mumbai

"There are fewer cases and deaths nowadays and we are not getting many samples to look for variants. The tests will start once we get enough samples or we try to do it in the coming week with whatever sample size we have," said Suresh Kakani, additional commissioner of the BMC. "We will start the process this week, even if we have fewer samples," said Dr. Jayanti Shastri, head of the department of microbiology and in charge of the lab.

Amid the pandemic, various strains have emerged with different characteristics such as ultrafast speed and serious symptoms. Genome sequencing uses genetic formulae to identify different strains or variants of the same virus and helps track patients, trace high-risk contacts and treat them. At present, the test is done only at the National Institute of Virology, Pune, but the results take two to three months due to heavy load. Due to the delay, the tests do not contribute much to curbing the spread or treating patients.

384
No. of samples the lab can test at a time