Lok Sabha Question No. 467 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-02-04
Subject: Research on Potential Future Variants of COVID-19
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: K. Muraleedharan, Adoor Prakash, Behanan Benny, Balubhau (Alias Suresh Narayan) Dhanorkar, Faizal P.P. Mohammed, Anto  Antony, Nusrat Jahan Ruhi

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH RESEARCH

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.467 TO BE ANSWERED ON 04 TH  FEBRUARY, 2022

## RESEARCH ON POTENTIAL FUTURE VARIANTS OF COVID-19

## 467. SHRI K. MURALEEDHARAN:

ADV. ADOOR PRAKASH:

SHRI BENNY BEHANAN:

SHRI BALUBHAU ALIAS SURESH NARAYAN DHANORKAR:

SHRI MOHAMMED FAIZAL P.P.:

SHRI ANTO ANTONY:

SHRIMATI NUSRAT JAHAN RUHI:

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state: (a) whether the Government has taken cognizance of the alarming rise in the COVID-19 cases across the country, if so, the details thereof;

- (b) whether the Government is prioritising research on potential future variants of the virus;
- (c)  if  so,  the  details  thereof  including  budgetary  allocations  made  toward  research  and development, and if not, the reasons therefor;
- (d)  whether  the  Government  plans  to  start  administration  of  booster  doses  of  COVID-19 vaccines, to the 18+ years population, if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;
- (e) the manner in which the Government is ensuring accurate data on the number of cases given the increasing usage of home tests; and
- (f)  whether  the  Government  intends  to  increase  the  rate  of  institutional  testing  and  if  so,  the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

(DR. BHARATI PRAVIN PAWAR)

- (a) Government of India continues to keep a close watch over COVID-19 situation in the country against COVID-19 to prevent and mitigate the impact of any resurgence of COVID-19 trajectory in the country.

Also, Government of India is supporting States in their endeavor to manage COVID-19 since the beginning of pandemic. Given the emergence of mutated variants with variable impact on transmissibility, virulence and effectiveness of vaccines, likelihood of resurgence of COVID-19 trajectory  inthe  country  is  monitored  by  various  expert  committees  under  Indian  Council  of Medical Research, Directorate General of Health Services and other relevant Ministries/Departments. Union Ministry of Health &Family Welfare continues to keep a close watch over COVID-19 situation across the country and globally.

Besides  regular  review  meetings  at  the  level  of  Union  Health  Minister  with  all  relevant stakeholders including subject experts,  review  meetings with States/UTs  through  video conferencing have been conducted under Union Health Minister and senior officials of Health Ministry to review preparedness and response measures for COVID-19 pandemic. States/Union Territories (UTs) have been repeatedly urged to undertake the following activities:

-  Strict monitoring of International travelers in the community.
-  Contact tracing of positive individuals & follow up for 14 days. Genome sequencing of positive samples through INSACOG Labs in a prompt manner.
-  Continued monitoring of areas where cluster of positive cases emerges.
-  Further strengthening of COVID-19 testing infrastructure and ensuringearly identification of  cases  through  adequate  testing  across  the  States.  Ensuring  preparedness  of  health infrastructure (availability of ICU, oxygen  supported beds, ventilators, etc.) and upgrading health infrastructure under 'India COVID-19Emergency Response and Health System Preparedness-Phase II' (ECRP-II) including in rural areas and for pediatric cases.
-  Commissioning PSA plants, ensuring sufficient logistics, drugs etc.
-  Ensuring  COVID-19  vaccination  for  the  eligible  population  includingcoverage  among young  adolescents  (15-18  years)  and  precaution  dosefor  health  care  workers,  frontline workers and elderly with comorbidities.
-  Ensuring adherence to COVID Appropriate Behaviour.

Ministry of Health &Family Welfare (MoHFW) vide letter dated 28 th June 2021 has circulated to all States/UTs guiding principles for imposition of restrictions or allowing relaxation in context of COVID-19 based on COVID-19 testing confirmation rates and hospital bed occupancy rates. This  has  been  reiterated  by  Ministry  of  Home  Affairs  under  Disaster  Management  Act,  2005 vide order dated 29 th June 2021.

Ministry  of  Health  &  Family  Welfare  continues  to  provide  technical  guidance  for  managing various  aspects  of  COVID-19.  To  disseminate  various  clinical  guidelines  for  appropriate management  of  cases,  a  series  of  webinars  were  held  under  MoHFW's  Center  of  Excellence initiative for all State Level Centers of Excellence and district level public and private COVID health facilities in collaboration with AIIMS, Delhi and Indian Medical Association.

Union  Ministry  of  Health  &  Family  Welfare  continues  to  provide  support  to  States/UTs  to enhance  preparedness  and  response  capacities  against  COVID-19  and  other  public  health emergencies. Funding support is also provided to States/UTs through National Health Mission, State Disaster Response Funds (SDRF) and Emergency COVID-19 Response and Preparedness packages. Under ECRP Phase II, a package of Rs. 23,123 crores has been approved to upgrade health infrastructure including maintaining buffer stock of essential drugs.

(b) The  Indian  SARS-CoV-2  Genomics  Consortium  (INSACOG),  jointly  initiated  by  the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and Department of Biotechnology (DBT) with Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), is  a  consortium  of  laboratories  to  monitor  the  genomic  variations  in  the  SARS-CoV-2.  This consortium has 52 laboratories.

(c) To  aid  in  future  research  and  development  under  the  PM  Ayushman  Bharat  Health Infrastructure Mission (PM- ABHIM) scheme, Rs. 1670 Crores for the period 2021-22 to 202526  has  been  year  marked.  Further,  a  budget  of  Rs.  60.18  Crores  has  been  released  to  the surveillance for SARS - COV-2 in India project by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT).

(d) The administration of precaution doses to Health Care Workers, Front Line Workers and persons aged 60 years and above has started under National COVID-19 Vaccination Programme from 10 th January, 2022. Any decision on extension of eligible beneficiaries for precaution dose is  as  per  the  recommendations  of  The  National  Technical  Advisory  Group  on  Immunization (NTAGI) on the basis of review of available scientific evidences.

(e) Before  approval  of  all  home  test  kits,  Indian  Council  of  Medical  Research  (ICMR) ensures  that  each  manufacturer  develops  a  robust  mobile  app  for  data  capture  and  report generation of each home test conducted. ICMR also sends periodic reminders to all home test kit manufacturers  to  ensure  data  capture.  Simple  pictorial  kit  inserts,  and  videos  have  been developed  in  multiple  languages  for  each  home  kit,  where  modalities  and  importance  of  data capture are explicitly explained to the user.

(f) Currently,  there  are  3236  COVID-19  testing  laboratories  approved  by  ICMR  for molecular  diagnosis  of  SARS-CoV-2.  Various  testing  modalities  like  RTPCR  kits,  TrueNat, CBNAAT, CRISPR, RTLAMP, Rapid RTPCR and rapid antigen tests are now available. ICMR has evaluated more than 1600 diagnostic commodities for COVID-19 (including RTPCR kits, VTM, RNA extraction kits, antibody assays, home tests and rapid antigen tests) and 755 have been approved for use.

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