Tracking COVID-19

 As the state government moves ahead to set up two test laboratories in Kohima and Dimapur especially in the light of the emergent need to contain COVID-19, perhaps the demands of several organisations in this regard need to be taken into consideration so that it would serve well to enlighten public about the logic behind setting up different grade/levels in the two cities. As reported and commented in this column, there needs to be some consideration of the ground reality with regard to the decision making since it directly affect public health and safety. Of all north eastern states only Nagaland, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh are yet to establish laboratories to test and detect infectious virus and bacteria causing diseases. Nagaland will be soon on the map and also likely Arunachal Pradesh. As per the decision of the state government, a Bio Safety Laboratory of the 3rd level will be set up in the Naga Hospital Authority Kohima (NHAK) while a Bio Safety Laboratory of a lower, 2nd level will be set up in Dimapur.What has surprised many observers is the reason behind establishing a lower grade laboratory in Dimapur. Various organisations have recently aired their views in favour of a similar level 3 BS Laboratory in Dimapur. They have also based their demands on ground reality of Dimapur being an endemic zone for various viral and bacterial diseases and so a level 3 laboratory is desired. Dimapur has a much higher incidence of various viral and bacterial diseases and setting up a BSL-3 laboratory would be only be befitting. There may not be much difference between levels 2 and 3 so if that is so, then it stands to reason that a level 3 laboratory should also be set up in Dimapur. Doing so would provide virologists, microbiologists and laboratory technicians working in the laboratory with ample opportunities to help contain various infectious diseases. In fact, Dimapur district itself is like a laboratory of various endemic diseases. Biosafety Level or-BSL- is a set of biocontainment precautions required to isolate hazardous biological agents in an enclosed manufacturing or research laboratory. These levels of protections are to safeguard laboratory personnel and the surrounding environment. The levels of containment range from the lowest biosafety level 1 (BSL-1) to the highest at level 4 (BSL-4). These levels, from 1 to 4, are ranked according to the lethality of the agents or organisms that are being worked with in the laboratory. COVID-19 or coronavirus is a deadly virus that causes serious and often lethal symptoms. It is transmitted from human to human through inhalation of virus-infected atmosphere, objects touched by infected patients etc. Since it’s a new strain, there is no specific vaccine that can treat it and that’s what makes coronavirus highly dangerous. The current fight against spread of COVID-19 will not end with lifting of lockdown, according to many virologists. The virus has to be stopped from spread and that is going to be the biggest challenge otherwise, it could spring back with a bang in the expected second wave.