Rapid response team in Nashik division to strengthen genomic surveillance

NASHIK: The state health department has directed its Nashik division to immediately form a rapid response team (RRT) to investigate all Covid-19 cases that are Variant of Concern (VoC) and Variant of Interest (VoI) in North Maharashtra.

The RRT will consist of one clinician, one microbiologist and a public health expert. The team will also include experts from a government medical college, if there is a requirement.

Of the five districts of Nashik, Jalgaon, Dhule, Nandurbar and Ahmednagar, 14 cases of Delta-plus variant, which is a VoC, have been found in Jalgaon (13) and Nandurbar (1). All the 14 patients have recovered from the ailment.

The state health department’s decision to form a RRT in North Maharashtra comes in view of directives of the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) about formation of RRT. The RRTs will be formed in other divisions of the state as well.

“The formation of the RRT is to strengthen the genomic surveillance for Covid-19,” added health officials.

According to health officials, once any VoC or VoI case is detected in any site in these five districts in the region, the RRT has to take the lead role in that district in carrying out multiple tasks.

The team will be involved in contact tracing of the case where the mutation is detected, examine epidemiological aspects of the mutant detected, clinical spectrum of the positive case to detect change of severity or mortality, vaccination history of the case and proportion of breakthrough infection and re-infection, etc.

“The RRT will consist of experts in various health domains and their guidance will render help to the local health administration,” said health officials, adding that the formation of the RRT will be done by the senior Nashik divisional administration.