A new type of corona virus Omicron has been identified in the bodies of 35 people at the Genome Center of Jessore University of Science and Technology (JUST). They are all Bangladeshi citizens. They do not have any serious symptoms other than cold, sore throat, muscle aches and mild fever.
Today, on Sunday, a team of researchers from the university revealed the new type of corona at the genome center of JUST. The research team identified 35 people initially from 31 December 2021 to 19 January,2022. A total of 41 samples (26 males and 15 females) were used by Sanger Sequencing to identify. The rest have been identified as delta type. Omicron was identified by unveiling the full life mystery of three samples at the Genome Center on January 12. With this, Omicron was identified in the bodies of a total of 38 people at the Genome Center of JUST.
According to the Genome Center of JUST, out of 38 samples at the Genome Center, the complete life mystery (hole genome sequence) of 3 samples had been unveiled earlier. Omicron was identified in the bodies of the remaining 35 based on 12 to 13 mutations through sanger sequencing of the spike proteins. Their age group is between 20 to 71 years. Under the leadership of the Chairman of the Department of Microbiology and Associate Director of the Genome Center Professor Dr. Md. Iqbal Kabir Zahid, a new type of corona was identified. He said although the victims did not yet have serious symptoms in the identification trial. But the World Health Organization has called it a form of concern.
Regarding the identification of the new type of corona virus, Vice-Chancellor of JUST and Director of the Genome Center, Prof. Dr. Md. Anwar Hossain said, Omicron is highly contagious. That’s why, it has been spreading widely in Jessore region and more than 30 percent of the samples are being identified as positive. For this, there is no alternative but to follow the government-prescribed hygiene rules and get vaccinated and use a mask. He said the task on identifying a new type of corona virus, Omicron, would continue at the Genome Center.
The Genome center will also identify the new type of corona if samples are sent to the Genome Center from surrounding districts. Earlier, a delta strain of the corona virus had been identified at the JUST Genome Center.
Chairman of the Department of Microbiology and Associate Director of the Genome Center Professor. Md. Iqbal Kabir Zahid and other members of the research team are the Chairman of the Department of Biomedical Engineering Dr. Hasan Md. Al-Imran, Shovan Lal Sarkar, Assistant Professor, Department of Microbiology, ASM Rubaiyatul Alam, Lecturer Shaminur Rahman, Research Assistant, Genome Center, Prashant Kumar Das, Ali Ahsan Setu, Taukir Ahmed, Abdullah Al Tariq, Anjir Rumi, Nazneen Sultana Sumana and others.
