Surveillance officers asked to ensure expedited genomic analysis through IGSLs – Greater Kashmir

Meanwhile, an official in the Health department said, We have directions to send all samples of foreign returnees (international travellers) for genome sampling to the lab in Delhi.

He, however, said that they sent 5 percent of the total COVID positive cases in general for their genome sampling in Delhi.

They take around one and half months and the period is too long which needs to be reduced to one week time so that the infected patients can be treated timely, he said. The official said that they had a review meeting yesterday in which they requested their higher ups to ensure that the genome testing report should come within a week's time. During second wave, we had sent samples for genome sequencing and it came too late when the infected person had recovered from COVID19. In such cases the chances of infection to other persons can be more, the official cited an example.

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Surveillance officers asked to ensure expedited genomic analysis through IGSLs - Greater Kashmir