Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Apr 2: Amid a rise in COVID-19 across Kashmir, Doctors Association Kashmir (DAK) today called for genetic testing of COVID-19 positive samples to look for any mutated strain of the virus that could be responsible for the resurgence of cases in the valley.
In a statement issued here, DAK president Dr Nisar ul Hassan said that there was a decline in cases a couple of weeks ago, and all of a sudden with the same behaviour among people a fresh wave of Covid-19 has erupted in the valley which could be because of a mutant.
“Genetic testing would not only detect the known mutants that might have sneaked into the valley, but also, check whether any mutant has emerged within the region,” he said.
Dr Nisar said that picking up mutants is the key to formulate appropriate and effective health policy that would help prevent and control their spread in the community.
“Covid-19 tends to mutate, which can change the behaviour of the virus and make it more infectious, and even deadlier.”
He said that since the outbreak, multiple mutated versions of the coronavirus have emerged that differ from the original strain.
DAK president said that there is a surge in COVID-19 cases in Kashmir over the past two weeks and hospitalizations have increased too.
“Children who were largely spared in the first wave are getting infected now in large numbers which are because schools have started functioning; though children get the mild disease, they can spread the virus to others and cause community transmission,” he said.
He said as the virus spreads, higher are chances of mutations and new strains coming up.
“So it is important to vaccinate as many people as possible that too quickly to break the chain of transmission and leave less scope for the virus to mutate,” he said.
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