Bengal commences genome sequencing of critical patients

KOLKATA: The state Health department in collaboration with MR Bangur Hospital has started sequencing genomes of all the critical Covid patients to ascertain if they are infected with Omicron or Delta variant.

This is for the first time genome sequencing survey is being undertaken among the critical patients in a government hospital.

The hospital authorities earlier this month took the decision to conduct a survey for over a span of 30 days.

The main purpose of the move is to find out the variants the patients have been suffering from. Nearly 70 per cent of the total Covid infected patients in the MR Bangur Hospital were requiring oxygen support and many of the infected patients were turning critical.As it was quite unlikely that most of the patients would be requiring oxygen support if they were infected with the Omicron variant. This had prompted the hospital authorities to find out the variants of the critical Covid patients. Most of the Omicron infected patients in the state are found to have mild symptoms while many are asymptomatic.

As a large number of people were requiring oxygen support in the MR Bangur, the Health department was also keen to perform genome sequencing on the critical patients.

The survey will be performed to detect how deadly the impact of Omicron on the elderly and comorbid

citizens is. Incidentally, it may be mentioned here that most of the critical care beds in both the government and private hospitals are occupied by the elderly people who have comorbidities.

Over 59 samples have been sent for genome sequencing. All these patients are elderly and have comorbid issues as well. In case of government hospitals, more than 50 percent of the critical care beds have been occupied on an average basis.