WEB DESK
Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai, MCGM today revealed the results of the fifth batch of genome sequencing conducted on 221 samples. As per the results, 11 percent of the samples tested positive for delta variant while 89 percent for delta derivatives; with just two patients testing positive for the newly found Omicron variant of COVID-19. Out of these 221 patients in Mumbai, 64 percent patients were in the age group of 21-60 years while nine percent were from the 1-20 years age group.
According to the results, 47 of these people had not taken even a single dose of the vaccine and 12 of these had to be admitted to the hospital for treatment. Fortunately, all the 221 patients recovered from the infection and no deaths were reported from this group.
Mumbai’s civic body has once again urged citizens not to lower their guard and continue to follow COVID appropriate behaviour like wearing masks, washing hands and maintaining social distancing. MCGM has also appealed citizens to get vaccinated at the earliest as the infection turns to be milder for those who are vaccinated.
It may be recalled that the next generation genome sequencing set up in Kasturba Hospital started its operations in August this year after the US based Illumina company donated two genome sequencing machines via the Albright Stonebridge Group (ASG-Boston). Subsequently, the genome sequencing process is being conducted on a monthly basis at the hospital.