India steps up surveillance for new variants of Covid-19 after sudden surge in China

Warning comes after surge in infections in China after the end of strict ‘zero-Covid’ restrictions

India is ramping up surveillance for new variants of Covid-19 after a “sudden spurt” in cases in many countries, including China and the US.

The country’s federal health ministry urged state governments to “gear up” the process of genome sequencing – a laboratory procedure used to determine Covid variants – to enable “timely detection”.

“In view of the sudden spurt of cases being witnessed in Japan, the United States of America, the Republic of Korea, Brazil and China, it is essential to gear up the whole genome sequencing of positive case samples,” health secretary Rajesh Bhushan wrote in a letter to the states on Tuesday.

The letter urged all states to ensure samples of all daily tests are sent for lab tests on a regular basis.

“Such an exercise will enable timely detection of newer variants, if any,” the letter added.

Federal health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya also met senior government officials on Wednesday to discuss the matter, with all those present wearing masks - a practice that has not been mandatory in most parts of the country for several months.

The warning comes after a surge in infections was reported in China after it ended its strict zero-Covid restrictions following protests. Experts have raised alarms over the unprecedented rise in new infections which are feared to have spread to several countries.

Concerns are also being raised over suspected underreporting in China as the country has stopped requiring daily PCR tests and many people are testing at home.

On Wednesday, China reported no new Covid deaths and in fact subtracted a death from its overall toll, lowering the overall total to 5,241, according to a daily tally issued by the National Health Commission, which did not offer an explanation for the decrease.

Vaccination rates also remain low compared to some countries, with only about 50 per cent of the country’s population having received a third vaccine shot.

Data from the World Health Organisation shows infections have risen in countries like Japan, South Korea and the US in recent days.

Several new variants of the virus have been considered to be much more transmissible than the original virus.

India has suffered one of the worst waves of Covid, with 44 million disease cases till date and the world’s second-highest death toll after the US. However, case numbers have largely remained low in recent months.

There are also demands of suspending flights to and from China. However, Reuters reported, quoting government sources, that there are no such immediate plans.

India is reporting about 1,200 new infections a week. Globally, some 3.5 million cases are being recorded weekly.

Additional reporting by agencies