DHANGADI, DECEMBER 7
Amidst suspicion of a new coronavirus variant, 13 swab samples have been collected and sent for tests in Kathmandu.
According to Province Public Health Laboratory, the swab samples sent for test include 10 samples that tested positive for COVID-19 at Seti Provincial Hospital and three samples that tested positive for antigens at Gaddachauki entry point of Kanchanpur.
"Given the confirmation that the new COVID variant, Omicron, has already entered the country, the samples, most of which already tested positive in PCR tests, were sent to confirm whether they were the new variants," said Province Public Health Laboratory Chief Ram Prasad Ojha, adding that the central laboratory in Kathmandu is the only laboratory where the variant can be confirmed.
The samples were sent to the Kathmandu-based National Public Health Laboratory.
Gene sequencing is the method used to identify virus variants and it is said to be an expensive method.
A version of this article appears in the print on December 8, 2021 of The Himalayan Times.
