CONTEXT

• India is in the middle of the second wave of Covid Pandemic.
• Covid virus is evolving which is resulting in higher transmissibility and immune escape. This demands re-strategizing of our responses to Covid Pandemic.

NEED TO RE-STRATEGIZE OUR STRATEGY

• • India has been slow in adoption of genomic sequencing and has not used it optimally.
  • To fight Covid-19 pandemic, tracing emerging variants (around 10 variants) and conducting studies regarding transmissibility, immune escape and potential to cause severe disease of Covid Pandemic is needed.
  • Success of countries like the United States and United Kingdom in containing viruses has been not only because of vaccination but also because of scaling up of genomic sequencing, tracking the emerging variants and using this evidence for timely actions.
  • India on other hand has failed on expanding vaccination coverage and has not been able to scale up genomic sequencing. Genome sequencing needs to be scaled up to cover 5% of confirmed COVID-19 cases as per the original plan.
  • Indian has set up SARS-CoV2 Genomic Consortia (INSACOG), however sequencing has remained at a very low level of a few thousand cases only.

• Not only is there insufficient genomic sequencing, the pace of sharing information is very slow.

SUCCESSFUL TRACING OF DELTA VARIANT 

• Tracking variants of SARS CoV-2 in Delhi by Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-Institute of Genomics is a welcome change and provides new insights in variations of Covid-19.
  • Report pointed out that Delta variant became the most circulating variant in Delhi and was found in nearly 60% of the samples analysed.
  • It is 50% more transmissible than the Alpha variant.
• Such studies provide very useful insight on the behaviour and impact of Delta variants. This will help us to strategize our strategy as per variation in the virus.
• Similar studies have been conducted in England.
  • Public Health England (PHE) reports that the Delta variant has become the most common circulating strain in the U.K., replacing Alpha.
  • The early data from the PHE has interpreted that the Delta variant may be responsible for more severe disease and higher rate of hospitalisation compared to all previous variants.
  • It also points to the fact that effectiveness of a single dose of vaccine was lower against the Delta strain.
• This scientific knowledge and understanding about emerging variants need to be included in policy decisions to bring effectiveness.

 WAYFORWARD

• Genomic sequencing across all States needs to be scaled up.

• • The sample collected should be sufficient and should take into account district-level trends of variants.
  • The information needs to be collated at the National level and should be shared publicly on a regular basis.
• Indian government needs to invest and support more scientific and operational research on vaccine effectiveness.
  • The data should be analysed on a regular basis and should include various stratifiers such as age, gender and comorbid conditions, etc.
  • This analysed information should be used in policy making. For example, opening up COVID-19 restrictions, the settings with predominantly the Delta variant in circulation which has higher transmissibility should aim for far stricter adherence to COVID appropriate behaviour.

As India prepares for the third wave, the only assured way to fight the pandemic is to use the scientific evidence to decide policies, modify strategies and take corrective actions. Genomic sequencing and use of scientific evidence for decision making are not a choice but an absolute essential.

Reference:

1. https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/bring-genomic-sequencing-into-the-pandemic-fight/article34764517.ece