Genome sequencing must be performed on positive case samples to track variants or subvariants.
Posted on – 12:34 AM, Fri – 23 December 22
Genome sequencing must be performed on positive case samples to track variants or subvariants.
Hyderabad: When the Covid-19 pandemic broke out nearly three years ago, China was the epicenter. With the massive resurgence of infections, it is once again in the global spotlight. The partial unlocking, which began recently, has overwhelmed the healthcare system, with shortages of hospital beds and medicines following widespread public protests against Beijing’s draconian zero-coronavirus policy. Experts fear the situation could worsen in the coming weeks, although authorities have been accused of undercounting the death toll. The Omicron subvariant BF.7 that is driving the current surge in China has the strongest infectivity because it is highly transmissible, has a short incubation period, and has a higher ability to reinfect even vaccinated people. This subvariant has spread to several other countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom and European countries such as Belgium, Germany, France and Denmark. At least four cases of BF.7 have been detected in India so far. The rest of the world can learn from China’s missteps in handling the outbreak. From the information available in the public domain, three key factors have contributed to the widespread misery in China: its ‘zero Covid’ policy has backfired and led to mass protests; local vaccines have proven ineffective compared to vaccines produced in other countries ; Low vaccination coverage. It is estimated that as many as 1 million people in China could die from COVID-19 in the coming months. The Covid crisis in China is getting a lot of attention around the world.
Like other countries, India has decided to step up surveillance. While there is no need to panic, given the rapid spread of new variants, Covid-appropriate behavior – wearing masks and maintaining physical distance in public – must be enforced. It would be a mistake to think that the pandemic is over. It is also important to be prepared for whole-genome sequencing of positive case samples to track variants or subvariants. Since Omicron took office in November 2021, it has been distributing forks, which in turn split into smaller branches. Reports of several BF.7 cases detected in India are not to be let up. Central and state governments need to coordinate closely to bridge the gap and ensure India is fully prepared to deal with any new outbreaks. Although the number of daily cases in India has dropped to just over 100, the pandemic is not over. India has handled the pandemic fairly well, but vaccination coverage still needs to improve. So far, 68.2% of the country’s eligible population has been fully covered, while 73.7% have received at least one dose of the vaccine.
