Experts disapprove Karnataka's drive of 10K samples for Covid genome sequencing

The state government’s exercise to sequence 10,000 samples in February alone appears to have evoked disapproval by experts. The Centre’s objective is to track emerging variants of coronavirus and mount a public health response.

The Centre has fixed a target of 10,000 samples for Karnataka. Of all the states, Karnataka is placed number two in terms of target.

The experts consider the exercise as financially expensive as sequencing a Covid sample cost up to Rs 10,000. They also question the logic behind the drive considering the decreasing number of fresh cases and the belief that Omicron is the dominant variant.

“The state is mandated by the centre for the exercise. We want to track emerging variants and mount a public health response if required,” Health Minister Dr K Sudhakar told DH. According to Epidemiologist Dr Jayaprakash Muliyel, sequencing 10,000 samples won’t change results.

“If there are any emerging variants, they will become frequent in the community. Hence, a long term plan to track emerging variants should be in place. Ideally sequencing exercise should be in place till April,” he said. Approving Muliyel’s stand, virologist Dr Jacob John says, “The response to track and detect Delta variant was delayed. There was also a lack of will. Delta ravaged India before a public health response could be mounted. The same may not repeat. Spending large amounts of money for a special drive doesn’t sound ideal.”

2,000 samples sent

“We have sent 2,000 samples to National Centre for Biological Sciences, Kempegowda Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS), Indian Institute of Science and a lab in Kolkata for genome sequencing till February 14,” says State Health Commissioner D Randeep.

KIMS, Bengaluru, is the only private medical college in the state to get INSACOG (Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomic Consortia) approval to sequence government Covid samples. The INSACOG is an advisory group to the Central government.

“Under the Nanopore technology (sequencing of 2,000 samples at a time) method, one sample sequencing costs Rs 3,500. The Illumina (high-throughput sequencing test to detect SARS-CoV-2 which enables virus genome analysis in research use) method requires between Rs 7,500 and Rs 10,000 per sample sequencing. KIMS has spent Rs 4.85 lakh to sequence 131 samples,” Dr Geetha Nagaraj, co-principal investigator, Central Research Laboratory, KIMS, says.

She adds,”All samples were collected from February 1. All samples in the batch had Omicron. About 95% was Ba.2.”

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