New Delhi: In a bid to identify and analyse all the variants of COVID-19 for any future waves or spreads in the Capital, the Delhi government on Wednesday launched the SARS CoV2 genome sequencing facility in LNJP Hospital.
While inaugurating the facility on Wednesday, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said that if the government has prior knowledge about the variants then it will be able to strategise the necessary preparations and take the right and timely action.
Genetic Analyzer machine that enables genome sequencing of COVID-19 virus variants have now been installed in LNJP Hospital and Maulana Azad Medical College.
The CM explained that up till now the state government was dependent on National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) for knowledge on variants of the virus.
He explained, "So, to get our samples tested, we were dependent upon the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), the lab of the central government. Hence, we have purchased the Genetic Analyser machine for this genome sequencing which is operational from today. Through this machine, we will be able to analyse all the variants of COVID-19 and understand them for any of the future waves or spreads in Delhi, if at all they are witnessed."
The machine will be able to sequence 5 to 7 samples in a day with a turnaround time of about 4 to 5 days. The facility will be mainly for surveillance and public health purposes only. The SARS CoV2 Genome Sequencing facility is being set up in LNJP and ILBS as a part of Delhi government's preparations to tackle the possible third wave of COVID-19.
"If we get to know the variant on time, we will be able to strategise our preparations well and it will be helpful in taking the right actions. We did not have any such facility until today. From today, it is being installed in the LNJP Hospital. I have been told that this is the third such facility of the machine being installed in North India," Kejriwal added during the inauguration.