Scientists have been working non-stop for the past 10 months.
Reykjavik, Iceland:
Iceland has genetically traced all advanced cases of Covid-19 since the outbreak of the pandemic, a practice that is becoming increasingly critical as new strains of concern emerge from Britain and South Africa. .
The World Health Organization on Friday urged all countries to ramp up genome sequences to help combat emerging variables.
Scientists at the laboratory of the Icelandic biopharma group deCODE Genetics in Reykjavik have been working hard for the past 10 months, analyzing all advanced coronavirus tests in Iceland at the request of health authorities of the country.
The goal is to find all the issues to prevent troublesome ones from going through the web.
“It will take us a very short time to make the real order,” explained laboratory chief Olafur Thor Magnusson, noting that “about three hours” is needed to determine the weight of the virus. .
The whole process, from separating the DNA to sorting it, can take up to a day and a half, and has allowed Iceland to identify 463 different variables – known to scientists haplotypes.
Prior to sequencing, the DNA of each sample is first individually extracted, and then purified with magnetic beads.
The samples are then taken to a large, well-equipped, bright room, where deafening sound comes from small devices such as scanners.
The devices are gene sequences that map the novel coronavirus genome.
World leader
Inside each device is a black box called a “flow cell”, a glass slide containing the DNA molecules.
This technology has been widely used in Iceland since the outbreak of the pandemic.
“Ordering samples is essential to help us follow up on the condition and development of epilepsy,” Health Minister Svandis Svavarsdottir told AFP.
Authorities have used the sequencing information to decide on detailed, targeted measures to prevent the spread of the virus, she said.
Although the South African variant was not found in Iceland, 41 individuals were identified as carriers of the British version.
They were all stopped at the border – where PCR tests are carried out on passengers – effectively preventing the spread of the variable on the underground island.
DNA identification also made it possible to establish a clear link between pub visitors in central Reykjavik and most diseases in a new wave in mid-September – forcing authorities to bars and clubs close night in the capital.
The order also marked a distinct snoring from two French tourists who tested positive when they arrived in Iceland, and who were initially accused – erroneously – of causing an uprising in September.
All of the 6,000 Covid-19 cases reported in Iceland were followed up, making him the world leader in the Covid series.
While several countries, such as Britain, Denmark, Australia and New Zealand produce high levels of classification, none come close to Icelandic levels, although global statistics are inconclusive.
Play the baby
So why is Iceland so far ahead of the game?
DeCODE has a unique gene mapping.
Founded in 1996, the company has conducted the largest ever genetic study of a population.
For a 2015 study of cancer risk factors, he followed the total genome of 2,500 Iceland and studied the genetic profile of a third of the population at that time of 330,000.
In contrast, following Covid-19 samples is like a children’s play.
“It’s very easy to classify this viral genome: there are only 30,000 nucleotides, not at all,” says Kari Stefansson, the 71-year-old founder and chief executive officer of the company.
In comparison, the human genome most commonly studied in its laboratories contains 3.4 billion pairs of nucleotides, or organic molecules, he adds.
Although Iceland’s tight run has been useful for monitoring the spread of the virus, it has not yet become a major scientific discovery for deCODE.
“If there are differences between viruses with the different pattern mutations, they are not very obvious. It is not obvious enough for us to pick up,” Stefansson says.
(This story was not edited by NDTV staff and is automatically extracted from syndicated feedings.)