- The Swedish Veterinary Institute, SVA, will now begin to make analyzes of positive corona tests that map the virus’ genome.
- To begin with, the authority will analyze samples from Jönköping, but there is the possibility of also helping Kronoberg and Örebro.
- “Ultimately, we do this to support society and healthcare,” says Henrik Ericsson, head of the microbiology department at SVA.
Many are worried about the new virus variants that have been discovered in the UK, South Africa and Brazil and are suspected of being more contagious. To find these and other mutated variants, so-called sequencing is performed, which is an analysis that maps the virus’ genome.
The Public Health Agency has set The goal is for 10 percent of all positive test results to be sequenced, but the technology is complicated and most regions in Sweden today lack the opportunity to carry out this type of analysis.
– There are completely new ways of working, but above all it is a large part that comes after you have done the laboratory work, there will be very large amounts of data in this and to handle those amounts and do the analyzes is a bit complicated, says Sara Mernelius, molecular biologist at Jönköping County.
Jönköping is also the first region that the Swedish Veterinary Institute, SVA, will help with sequencing. The plan is for the authority to analyze between 50 and 100 samples from the region a week.
– It is absolutely crucial for us, we would never be able to sequence 10 percent of all our positive samples here in Jönköping alone, says Sara Mernelius.
SVA is already up and running with the first test runs and plans to scale up as time goes on. In addition to Jönköping, Henrik Ericsson at SVA says that they also expect to be able to help Kronoberg and Örebro, for which they are already analyzing so-called PCR samples.
– We start by working at this level, then we will see where the need goes, he says.
Does this have any special consequences for the work that you do otherwise?
– Initially, we will prioritize our own research somewhat, but in the short term we will see that by increasing the instrument bark, we will be able to do both, says Henrik Eriksson at SVA.
Hedda Berglund
[email protected]
Source: ICELAND NEWS