Authors :
Sudarson Sundarrajan; Koteshwar Sridhar
Volume/Issue :
Volume 6 - 2021, Issue 12 - December
Google Scholar :
http://bitly.ws/gu88
Scribd :
https://bit.ly/3mv1H9A
Abstract :
Since March-2020, after WHO announced that
novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, a global
pandemic, the virus has caused significant causalities more
than 200 countries across the world. Recently there has
been surge in the infections due to mutation of the SARS
Covid-19 virus of which delta mutants with its lineages
have been prominent. At present, mutations are monitored
by a consortium using NGS (Next-generation sequencing)
technology which is accurate but expensive and time
consuming. As a rapid, inexpensive but accurate method
we have explored RT-PCR (Real Time-Polymerase Chain
Reaction) to detect the mutants. This would help in the
early diagnosis and surveillance of this pandemic. One
hundred Covid positive samples archived with us between
Jan-2021 to July-2021 were studied by RT-PCR using
commercial delta mutant kit. Sanger sequencing was done
to confirm the RT-PCR findings. RT-PCR method was
able to detect delta mutants in 08 of the 100 samples
studied (8%). The simple RT-PCR technique is found to be
sensitive and specific for the detection of Cov-19 delta
mutant with less turnaround time than NGS. This
technique may be deployed in all the approved
laboratories for Screening and surveillance to contain the
spread of delta mutant in the community. This simple
method can be exploited to detect other published mutants
of Covid-19, when the situation arises.
Keywords :
Covid-19, Delta Mutant, Gene Sequencing, RTPCR, Surveillance.
Since March-2020, after WHO announced that
novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, a global
pandemic, the virus has caused significant causalities more
than 200 countries across the world. Recently there has
been surge in the infections due to mutation of the SARS
Covid-19 virus of which delta mutants with its lineages
have been prominent. At present, mutations are monitored
by a consortium using NGS (Next-generation sequencing)
technology which is accurate but expensive and time
consuming. As a rapid, inexpensive but accurate method
we have explored RT-PCR (Real Time-Polymerase Chain
Reaction) to detect the mutants. This would help in the
early diagnosis and surveillance of this pandemic. One
hundred Covid positive samples archived with us between
Jan-2021 to July-2021 were studied by RT-PCR using
commercial delta mutant kit. Sanger sequencing was done
to confirm the RT-PCR findings. RT-PCR method was
able to detect delta mutants in 08 of the 100 samples
studied (8%). The simple RT-PCR technique is found to be
sensitive and specific for the detection of Cov-19 delta
mutant with less turnaround time than NGS. This
technique may be deployed in all the approved
laboratories for Screening and surveillance to contain the
spread of delta mutant in the community. This simple
method can be exploited to detect other published mutants
of Covid-19, when the situation arises.
Keywords :
Covid-19, Delta Mutant, Gene Sequencing, RTPCR, Surveillance.
