NEW DELHI: In the wake of a mutated variant of coronavirus detected in the UK, a genomic surveillance consortium was formed for epidemiological and laboratory surveillance of circulating SARS-CoV-2 strains in India, the Center said on Saturday.
The genomic surveillance consortium, INSACOG, has been formed under the leadership of the National Center for Disease Control (NCDC), New Delhi. Additionally, more than 50 samples from UK returnees are currently being sequenced in designated labs.
Five percent of positive Covid-19 cases from all states and UT will be analyzed for whole genome sequencing (WGS) as part of the strategy that has been implemented to detect and contain the mutant variant, said the Ministry of Union Health after a meeting of the National Task Force (NTF) on Covid-19 on the subject.
“It is proposed to continue enhanced genomic surveillance for the early detection and containment of variant strains of SARS-CoV-2 from the UK. However, it is important to understand that, like all other RNA viruses, SARS-CoV -2 will continue to mutate. ” said the ministry.
The mutated virus can also be contained through measures such as social distancing, hand hygiene, the use of masks, and also through an effective vaccine, when available, the ministry said.
The NTF meeting was convened on Saturday by the ICMR under the co-chairmanship of Dr. Vinod Paul, NITI Aayog member and Dr. Balram Bhargava, Secretary, General Director of ICMR.
The main purpose of the meeting was to discuss evidence-based modifications to the testing, treatment and surveillance strategies for SARS-CoV-2 in light of recent reports of the emergence of a new variant strain of the virus in the UK.
It was emphasized that since the UK variant strain is implicated in increasing the transmissibility of the virus, it is critical to identify people infected with this strain and properly contain them to prevent its transmission in India, according to the statement.
The NTF concluded that it is not necessary to change the existing treatment protocol in view of the mutations arising in the strain.
Furthermore, since ICMR has always advocated the use of two or more gene assays to evaluate SARS-CoV-2, infected cases are unlikely to be missed with the current testing strategy, the ministry said.
The NTF recommended that, in addition to existing surveillance strategies, enhanced genomic surveillance for SARS-CoV-2 is essential, especially in passengers arriving from the UK.
The meeting was also attended by Professor Randeep Guleria, Director, AIIMS; Director General of Health Services (DGHS); Comptroller General of Drugs of India (DCGI); Director of the National Center for Disease Control (NCDC); other representatives of the Ministry of Health and the ICMR, as well as independent experts in the field.
“The variant strain has 14 non-synonymous mutations (which alter amino acids), 6 synonymous (which do not alter amino acids) and 3 deletions.
“Eight mutations are present in the Spike (S) gene that carries the binding site (receptor binding domain) of ACE2 receptors, which are the entry point of the virus into human respiratory cells,” said the ministry in its release.
The NTF deliberated in detail on issues related to the current National Treatment Protocol, testing strategy and surveillance for SARS-CoV-2 against the UK variant strain.
The NTF opined that it will also be essential to perform genome sequencing in samples in which there is a dropout of the S gene in laboratory diagnosis, proven cases of reinfections, etc. Routine genomic surveillance for SARS-CoV-2 of representative samples in all samples should be a well-planned and ongoing activity, according to the release.
Designated laboratories where samples from UK returnees are currently being sequenced include: NCDC, Delhi; CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, Delhi; CSIR- Center for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad and DBT- Institute of Life Sciences, Bhubaneshwar.
It is also being done at DBT-National Institute of Biomedical Genomics, Kalyani; DBT-InStem-National Center for Biological Sciences, Bengaluru; National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru and National Institute of Virology, Pune.
The NCDC reported that the Center has become aware of the mutant variant reports and the response of other countries to these reports.
The situation is being monitored proactively.
A strategy has been put in place whereby all passengers arriving from the UK between 21 and 23 December have been screened at airports and only after the result of the PCR test is available, the passengers negative passengers can leave airports.
All positive test passengers undergo institutional isolation and their samples are sent for whole genome sequencing (WGS)
Only after confirmation of the non-mutant variant in the WGS result are positive cases allowed to emerge from institutional isolation according to the existing management protocol.
All positive case contacts are also quarantined at the facility and tested according to ICMR guidelines.
Furthermore, the list of all arrivals to the UK during the last 28 days has been shared by the Immigration Office with the states in question.
All passengers arriving from the UK between 25 November and 20 December 2020 are being tracked by IDSP State Surveillance Units (SSU) and District Surveillance Units (DSU)
Samples of all positive cases for WGS are being sent and better contact tracing of these positive cases is being carried out and these contacts are also quarantined at the facility.
The genomic surveillance consortium, INSACOG, has been formed under the leadership of the National Center for Disease Control (NCDC), New Delhi. Additionally, more than 50 samples from UK returnees are currently being sequenced in designated labs.
Five percent of positive Covid-19 cases from all states and UT will be analyzed for whole genome sequencing (WGS) as part of the strategy that has been implemented to detect and contain the mutant variant, said the Ministry of Union Health after a meeting of the National Task Force (NTF) on Covid-19 on the subject.
“It is proposed to continue enhanced genomic surveillance for the early detection and containment of variant strains of SARS-CoV-2 from the UK. However, it is important to understand that, like all other RNA viruses, SARS-CoV -2 will continue to mutate. ” said the ministry.
The mutated virus can also be contained through measures such as social distancing, hand hygiene, the use of masks, and also through an effective vaccine, when available, the ministry said.
The NTF meeting was convened on Saturday by the ICMR under the co-chairmanship of Dr. Vinod Paul, NITI Aayog member and Dr. Balram Bhargava, Secretary, General Director of ICMR.
The main purpose of the meeting was to discuss evidence-based modifications to the testing, treatment and surveillance strategies for SARS-CoV-2 in light of recent reports of the emergence of a new variant strain of the virus in the UK.
It was emphasized that since the UK variant strain is implicated in increasing the transmissibility of the virus, it is critical to identify people infected with this strain and properly contain them to prevent its transmission in India, according to the statement.
The NTF concluded that it is not necessary to change the existing treatment protocol in view of the mutations arising in the strain.
Furthermore, since ICMR has always advocated the use of two or more gene assays to evaluate SARS-CoV-2, infected cases are unlikely to be missed with the current testing strategy, the ministry said.
The NTF recommended that, in addition to existing surveillance strategies, enhanced genomic surveillance for SARS-CoV-2 is essential, especially in passengers arriving from the UK.
The meeting was also attended by Professor Randeep Guleria, Director, AIIMS; Director General of Health Services (DGHS); Comptroller General of Drugs of India (DCGI); Director of the National Center for Disease Control (NCDC); other representatives of the Ministry of Health and the ICMR, as well as independent experts in the field.
“The variant strain has 14 non-synonymous mutations (which alter amino acids), 6 synonymous (which do not alter amino acids) and 3 deletions.
“Eight mutations are present in the Spike (S) gene that carries the binding site (receptor binding domain) of ACE2 receptors, which are the entry point of the virus into human respiratory cells,” said the ministry in its release.
The NTF deliberated in detail on issues related to the current National Treatment Protocol, testing strategy and surveillance for SARS-CoV-2 against the UK variant strain.
The NTF opined that it will also be essential to perform genome sequencing in samples in which there is a dropout of the S gene in laboratory diagnosis, proven cases of reinfections, etc. Routine genomic surveillance for SARS-CoV-2 of representative samples in all samples should be a well-planned and ongoing activity, according to the release.
Designated laboratories where samples from UK returnees are currently being sequenced include: NCDC, Delhi; CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, Delhi; CSIR- Center for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad and DBT- Institute of Life Sciences, Bhubaneshwar.
It is also being done at DBT-National Institute of Biomedical Genomics, Kalyani; DBT-InStem-National Center for Biological Sciences, Bengaluru; National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru and National Institute of Virology, Pune.
The NCDC reported that the Center has become aware of the mutant variant reports and the response of other countries to these reports.
The situation is being monitored proactively.
A strategy has been put in place whereby all passengers arriving from the UK between 21 and 23 December have been screened at airports and only after the result of the PCR test is available, the passengers negative passengers can leave airports.
All positive test passengers undergo institutional isolation and their samples are sent for whole genome sequencing (WGS)
Only after confirmation of the non-mutant variant in the WGS result are positive cases allowed to emerge from institutional isolation according to the existing management protocol.
All positive case contacts are also quarantined at the facility and tested according to ICMR guidelines.
Furthermore, the list of all arrivals to the UK during the last 28 days has been shared by the Immigration Office with the states in question.
All passengers arriving from the UK between 25 November and 20 December 2020 are being tracked by IDSP State Surveillance Units (SSU) and District Surveillance Units (DSU)
Samples of all positive cases for WGS are being sent and better contact tracing of these positive cases is being carried out and these contacts are also quarantined at the facility.
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