Coronavirus research: ‘More steps are due’

By Mukhtar Alam
(Pakistan News & Features Services) 

Following the recent release of details of a ‘half-done’ study related to whole genome sequencing of locally spread coronavirus by a research centre at the University of Karachi (KU), the scientists at Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS) on April 1 declared that virus in question collected from a boy by them for research purposes had come from Saudi Arabia.

“The virus transmitted to the boy locally has come from Saudi Arabia and infected 15 patients of same family, which indicates that the local spread of this virus is very fast,” a DUHS press release quoted the medical experts of the University and added that team of experts were continuing analyzing the Coronavirus sequence and more steps were yet to be taken.

Earlier, the KU researchers had claimed in a press release that the genome sequencing of Coronavirus collected from a local patient having a travel history was complete. 

“The virus examined at Jamil-ur-Rahman Centre for Genome Research of KU was more closely related to the virus from China.” 

The scientists, who worked under the leadership of DUHS Vice Chancellor, Prof Dr Saeed Quraishi, said that the novel Corona Virus 2019 (SARS-COV-2) was changing its genetics according to Pakistan’s local conditions. 

The DUHS information regarding genome sequencing of locally spread virus will help in treatment, diagnostics and vaccine development, according to them. 

A DUHS press release said that the research was in its initial stage and the sequencing has been done with the cooperation of a KU centre, while the fully equipped modern biosafety level-3 (BSL-3) virology lab at DUHS was used for the isolation of ribonucleic acid (RNA) from the sample, a crucial and dangerous exercise indeed. 

“The presence of virus was confirmed through Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) at Dow University.” It was further said that the DUHS research revealed that the sequence of this virus was slightly different from Wuhan virus with few mutations. 

“This virus has originated in China and came to Pakistan through Saudi Arabia.” 

Moreover, the scientists noted, this was just one of the investigated cases, while ‘they are in the process of analyzing many other samples of Coronavirus that have been transmitted from other countries including Iran, Iraq, Syria, the United Kingdom, the United States and others’.