New Delhi: The Ministry of Biotechnology plans to conduct a study on thousands of samples and clinical materials collected during Covid-19 to help Indian scientists understand the susceptibility of individuals and changes in metabolic activity that will be helpful in combating future pandemics.
The department will mandate the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG), a consortium of 54 laboratories, to conduct the study, a government official aware of the matter said.
“Now there is a plan to conduct retrospective studies as we have collected a large number of samples during the pandemic,” the official said.
The aim is to understand the science behind the infections: the immunological basis for the susceptibility of different individuals, how viral evolution takes place, metabolic activity and their association with specific changes that occur even today in infected people.
According to the World Health Organization, 10-20% of people infected with SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes Covid, may develop symptoms that can be diagnosed as long Covid. This is defined as the continuation or development of new symptoms three months after the initial SARS-CoV-2 infection, where these symptoms persist for at least two months without any other explanation.
While symptoms of long Covid include fatigue, shortness of breath and cognitive impairment, more than 200 different symptoms have been reported, according to the WHO.
“We are in discussions with all members in the scientific community who were involved in collecting such data to develop a framework for conducting studies. The idea is to make useful contributions with the available data and prepare for future pandemics,” the official said.
Retrospective studies
The number of Covid-19 cases in India has fallen to an all-time low for more than a year. India reported 98 active cases of Covid-19 on October 28.
Approximately 330,000 SARS-CoV-2 genomes have been sequenced and analyzed by INSACOG laboratories since they were established in December 2020 with the mandate to determine the status of variants of interest and concern in the country.
The laboratories were also required to establish surveillance and surge monitoring mechanisms for the early detection of genomic variants and determine their presence in samples collected during superspreader events and in areas where an increasing trend of cases/deaths was reported.
While most countries have already started retrospective studies, India's plan is to reuse the samples in the best possible way.
“The proposals that come in with different ideas are driving the initiative… we have created a network of people who don't want this network to break down. This INSACOG network is intended to carry out larger activities and keep the people engaged and working together,” the official said.
Questions to the Ministry of Biotechnology and the spokesperson for the Ministry of Health remained unanswered.