COVID-19 Notes
By Dr. Satish K Gupta*
Updates
2,58,089 new cases recorded in the last 24 hours till 9 am today in India
8,209 Total Omicron cases detected so far; an increase of 6.02% since yesterday
Daily positivity rate (19.65%)
Weekly Positivity Rate (14.41%)
Genome Sequencing
It you ask me to name one test that has changed the curve of corona pandemic- it is nothing but Genome Sequencing. And today world is craving for more of it.
What is Genome Sequencing?
• Genomic sequencing is the process of recording a virus’ genetic code. To be more precise it is the way of finding out gene sequences in the RNA (or DNA) of any organism and comparing the sequence to previous records.
How does Gene sequencing help?*
• It allows researchers to understand if the virus is new to the human population.
• Gene sequence is the basic requirement to develop a vaccine. Most commonly used vaccines during the pandemic like mRNA vaccines from Pfizer and Vector based Vaccine from Serum Institute of India could be developed in record time because of availability of Viral Genome which was decoded as early as 11th January 2020 even before pandemic had spread to many parts of world.
• Sequencing has allowed COVID-19 to be the first virus whose spread is being monitored in real-time and on a global scale.
• During the course of Pandemic repeated viral gene sequencing helped detect new variants and analyse their origin and behaviour.
How old is Genome Sequencing?
• Research had been going on for long but reliable results started 10 years back.
If the pandemic had happened ten years ago, what would it have looked like?
• Doubtlessly, the virus could have caused much more damage. World might have depended upon fewer vaccines and lesser doses.
How Genome Sequencing changed the shape of pandemic apart from quick vaccines?
• Sequencing may not be new – what’s different today is the amount of sequencing being done and increasing demand for more tests.
• Genomes of variants are being tested around the world at an unprecedented rate, making COVID-19 one of the most highly tested outbreaks ever.
• With this information we can then track how different forms of the virus are spreading locally, nationally and internationally.
• It makes COVID-19 the first outbreak to be tracked in near real-time on a global scale.
• Changed sequence in particular regions of Virus Genome help scientist find out if a particular subset of mutations will affect spike protein of virus and hence its behaviour in terms of transmission and virulence. For Sars-Cov-2 mutations in genes coding for Spike Proteins and Furin Cleavage site have been of particular concern.
• This helps controlling the virus. For example, together with PCR testing, sequencing helped reveal the emergence of the alpha variant in winter 2020 and delta variant in early 2021 and lately Omicron
How Omicron has fuelled the demand of Genome testing?
• Identification of Omicron variant has really turbocharged the demand for Genome testing.
• Current wave of pandemic in being driven by two variants Delta and Omicron. Both have different prognosis and different treatments.
High-risk patients carrying the Delta variant could benefit greatly from two particular monoclonal antibody treatments from Eli Lilly and Regeneron. Treatments have shown to reduce both hospitalization and death.
But those medications would most likely do nothing for patients with Omicron, who would only respond to a third antibody treatment Sotrovimab developed by GSK.
Most doctors have no way to determine which variant of the coronavirus a patient is carrying, a distinction that could mean the difference between life and death.
Patients too want to remain informed of the virus they are harbouring. It would obviously help them take an informed decision knowing if it were Omicron or Delta.
Omicron being a benign variant would instill a sense of relaxation and hope for quick recovery.
One would be surprised to know that current Genome Testing Equipment is of the size of hand held stapler and its cost could be as low as Rs 75000- or just $1000.
❗Genome Sequencing is strictly in government control. Why?
❗How many labs in India are doing Genome testing?
❗How other countries in world are doing Omicron analysis?
We shall explore..Stay tuned.
Also read: COVID-19: Understanding the Omicron wave
*Dr. Satish K Gupta is an MD in Medicines, a Visiting Senior Consultant Physician and Internist at Max Super Speciality Hospital, and a Clinical Assistant Professor at GS Medical College, Chaudhary Charan Singh University, Meerut. He is the author of Journey of COVID in India: A Doctor’s Perspective.
