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75pc Covid patients in Ctg have Omicron too


Published : 21 Jan 2022 08:49 PM

Researchers have found the presence of African variant Omicron in 75 percent of Covid-19 patients in Chattogram.

This matter was unveiled in the genome sequencing of samples of corona positive patients coming to Chittagong General Hospital and Agrabad Mother and Child Hospital.

Genome sequencing was examined of 30 corona positive samples from November and December 2021 and the first week of January 2022.

It found that 75 per cent of coronavirus positive patients had been infected with the Omicron variant since December 25.

The data was released on Thursday at the Global Initiative on Sharing All Influenza Data (GISAID), Germany's international database of the genome sequences of SARS COV-2.

The genome sequence from a sample of 30 patients showed that all patients from November 1 to December 25, 2021 were infected with the Delta variant.

But since December 25, 75 percent of the patients have been infected with Omicron.  It is noteworthy that the latest type of Omicron in the body of 2 patients is 'BA2' or 'stealth Omicron'.

Researchers claim that this is the first 'BA2' identification data in Chattogram.

The (BA2) variant has been found in Texas and Houston, India, China and Oman in the United States.  While not a groundbreaking contribution to the genre, Spike Protein has been linked to a number of new changes.

The researchers said that patients with Omicron had symptoms of sore throat and distorted tone of voice.  These symptoms are found in about 90 percent of the patients.  In addition, 85 percent of patients have pain and headache in different parts of the body and 80 percent have fever symptoms.

The study was led by Dr HM Hamidullah Mehedi, Junior Consultant and Corona Unit Physician, Department of Medicine, Chittagong General Hospital, and Dr. Adnan Mannan, Teacher, Department of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Chittagong.

Dr Hamidullah Mehedi, Junior Consultant, Department of Medicine, Chittagong General Hospital, said, “We were trying to understand the impact of Omicron in Chattogram.  We obtained this information by sequencing the genomes of only 30 samples.  However, it is not possible to come to any conclusion from the analysis of such a small sample.  More sample genome sequencing will give you an idea of its character.

The research was supported and sponsored by the Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases at Dalhousie University in Canada.  The data was analyzed by Professor David Kelvin, Abdullah Mahmoud Al Rafat.

Dr. Rajdwip Biswas of Chittagong General Hospital, Dr. Minhazul Haque and Dr. Fahim Hasan Reza of Maternal and Child Hospital were the assistant researchers.  Scientists at the ICDDRB Virology Laboratory were in overall charge of sequencing.

Genomic sequencing of patients at General Hospital and Maternal and Child Hospital is being done from April 2021 under Genomic Surveillance Project. 

The project directors are Dr Abdur Rob Masum, Senior Medicine Consultant, Chittagong General Hospital, Prof Dr Sanjay Biswas, Department of Microbiology, Mother and Child Hospital, Dr Nahid Sultana, ICDDRB Virology Department Scientist Dr. Mustafizur Rahman, Dr Mohammad Enayet Hossain.