Madhya Pradesh: Every 15 days, 150 random samples will be sent to NCDC from the state

BHOPAL: Around 150 random samples will be sent to the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), New Delhi, every 15 days from Madhya Pradesh for whole genome sequencing (WGS). This is to help in detection of variants of concerns (VoCs), such as Delta-Plus, Alpha and Delta with the coordination of the stateís microbiologists.

Sampling teams will consider critical Covid patients, besides Covid patients who have been undergoing treatment for a long time, suspected patients of repeat Covid cases, patients in comorbid condition with Covid infection and so forth.

21 labs notified

The commissioner, health, Akash Tripathi, has instructed the district surveillance offices (DSOs) in all the 52 districts making district hospitals the central surveillance centres for random samplings. Nineteen RTPCR labs and two private labs have been notified for sample collection which will pick up the randomly collected samples and send them to the NCDC, New Delhi.

One of the above mapped labs notified for random sampling on the basis of population is GMC, Bhopal, which will cover Betul and Bhopal districts. Six samples will be sent from Betul and 10 from Bhopal and eight random samples out of those will be sent to the NCDC, New Delhi.

Similarly, six samples will be sent from Rajgarh to the BMHRC and then three samples will be sent to the NCDC.

The RDGMC, Ujjain, will cover Agar-Malwa, Neemuch, Ujjain, Shajapur and Mandsaur. AIIMS will cover Hoshangaad and Sehore districts. Chhindwara Medical College will cover Chhindwara and Seoni, while Jabalpur Medical College will cover Jabalpur and Dindori. Rewa Medical College will cover Rewa, Satna and Sidhi. Shivpuri and Sheopur will send samples to Shivpuri Medical College. Similarly, others medical colleges have been authorised to conduct samplings.

Currently reported variant statistics

* 8 Delta-Plus cases

* 60 Alpha variant cases

* 334 Delta (Indian variant) cases

Of the Alpha variants

* 30 are from Indore

* 17 are from Bhopal

* 9 are from Gwalior

* 3 are from Vidisha and

* 1 is from Raisen.

Of the Delta variants

* 120 cases are from Bhopal

* 44 cases are from Indore

* 37 cases are from Gwalior

* 28 cases are from Ujjain

* 25 cases are from Ratlam

* 24 cases are from Datia

* 18 cases are from Vidisha

* 6 cases are from Raisen

* 5 cases each are from Sagar, Betul and Tikamgarh

* 2 cases each are from Hoshangabad and Sehore

* 1 case each is from Morena, Chhatarpur, Agar-Malwa