Jharkhand, Bihar and Odisha will coordinate with each other in the use of genome sequencing machines to detect new Covid variants.

Jharkhand got its own genome sequencing machine in July this year, but it couldn’t test the variant of the lone Covid case detected in Jamshedpur earlier this month as the machine installed at Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Ranchi needs to have a minimum of 96 samples in its kit to start testing.

The machine can test a maximum of 284 samples at one time. Onetime use of the machine costs about Rs 6 lakh which is the reason for the state’s dithering on the use of the machine.

“The machine installed in RIMS is of the same highend type as installed at the Institute of Life Sciences (an autonomous institute of the department of biotechnology, government of India), Bhubaneswar. Bihar also has its own genome sequencing machine in Patna. In fact, all the three states of Odisha, Jharkhand and Bihar are facing the same dilemma which led to a high-level discussion between officials of the three states last week,” said a senior health official.

Additional chief secretary (health) of Jharkhand, Arun Kumar Singh, confirmed the development.

“We have planned to coordinate with Bihar and Odisha in terms of the selection of the use of whole genome sequencing machines. All three states together will collect data from their samples collection and the state having maximum samples will collect samples of other two states and start detection of variants through the genome sequencing machine,” said Singh.

Odisha so far had one case of the omicron (BF.7) variant in September, while Jharkhand had its case detected in December.

“The machine from US company Illumina costs over Rs 5.3 crore and tests a maximum of 284 samples at one time and results can be obtained within 72 hours. It would prove helpful in planning strategies to curb transmission and treatment of Covid cases. During the critical first and second waves of Covid, we didn’t have a genome sequencing machine. So we had to wait for nearly a month to get reports from Odisha due to the long pendency of cases there,” said an official of the genetics and genomics department at RIMS.

East Singhbhum district epidemiologist Dr Mohammed Asad said that the lone Covid positive case detected in Jamshedpur had his samples collected and tested at a government-accredited private lab.

“The result was confirmed by the private lab from its head office in Gurgaon and it would be doing genome sequencing and intimating the Union health ministry about the omicron variant soon. We will be getting the information from the Union health ministry as soon as the variant is detected,” said Dr Asad.

Jharkhand’s lone genome sequencing machine was put to use in July this year in which 83 samples were found positive and 80 were of omicron variants and three were of delta variants.