
Travel history alone should not be deciding factor for genome sequencing: Experts
The Hindu
‘It is important now to identify clusters of cases and do genomic sequencing’
In the wake of an anaesthetist from a government hospital in Bengaluru, who did not have any travel history, getting infected with the Omicron variant, COVID-19 experts here said that travel history alone should not be the deciding factor for genome sequencing of samples.
While the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG), which monitors the genomic variations of the pandemic, has mandated random sequencing of samples (at least 10%) that test positive from among clusters, among the fully vaccinated and children, experts said health professionals at testing centres should be more vigilant and watch for parameters such as low cycle threshold (CT) values that indicate a high viral load.

The Centre has rejected reports that the definition of the Aravalli hills was changed to permit large-scale mining, citing a Supreme Court-ordered freeze on new leases. It said a court-approved framework will bring over 90% of the Aravalli region under protected areas and strengthen safeguards against illegal mining. The clarification follows controversy over the “100-metre” criterion used to define hills across states.












