April 23, 2021
Experts believe that 98-99% assays can pick up all the strains of virus
RT-PCR continues to be the gold standard for Covid-19 diagnosis with 98-99 per cent of assays used in the country picking up the virus, Priya Abraham, Director of the Pune-based National Institute of Virology (NIV), an Indian Council of Medical Research constituent lab, said on Friday. If this diagnostic test was throwing up false negatives, as reported in a section of the media, that could be either because of inappropriate sampling or compromised integrity of reagents, she said.
In the extremely stressful situation in a clinical setting, sampling may be inappropriate, individuals may be appearing late for sampling, or improper transportation of the kits can lead to loss of the integrity of enzymes used for the RT-PCR test, she said. Abraham and a few other experts were participating in a webinar on SARS-Cov2 mutants, organised by the National Biopharma Mission.
Covaxin Neutralises Multiple Variants Of Covid-19 Virus Including Double Mutant Strain: ICMR Study swarajyamag.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from swarajyamag.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
12-member central team conducts meeting with Surat district officials
Surat: A 12-member central team visited Surat on Thursday to review and collect information about the vaccination process and the number of active patients being treated in the district.
The team included experts from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi, Pune-based National Institute of Virology and Union health ministry officials. “The situation is serious this time as compared to last year and I would request everyone to stay indoors and follow Covid-19 guidelines,” Surat collector Dhaval Patel, told reporters on the sidelines of the visit on Thursday. “The central team held a meeting with officials in Surat and took information about the RT-PCR and antigen tests being conducted here, positivity rate, the number of people being vaccinated, and about patient management. We have informed them about the steps being taken to contain the spread of the virus,” Patel added.
Goa to set up genome-sequencing lab for Covid patients
By IANS |
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Vishwajit Rane.. Image Source: IANS News
Panaji, April 9 : Unable to identify Covid-19 strains in patients testing positive during the second Covid-19 wave in Goa, state Health Minister Vishwajit Rane on Friday said the state government was in the process of sourcing equipment to set up a genome sequencing laboratory of its own.
Rane also said the health authorities in Goa were facing a difficulty in getting samples tested at the Pune-based National Institute of Virology (NIV). NIV samples not just take 10 to 15 days to return, some samples are not returned at all, the Goa Health Minister added.
Gujarat logs biggest single-day jump of 4,021 COVID-19 cases, state sees migrant exodus again newindianexpress.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from newindianexpress.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.