Why is it still hard to track new COVID forms? WHO chief scientist explains

During a recent interview, Swaminathan also expressed, Europe is the largest contributor of sequences globally, while the African continents lag behind.

Although the rate of genomic sequencing has increased significantly since the start of the pandemic, even current levels are not sufficient, he emphasized during the interview.

Watch full video here:

Why are equipment expensive?

Equipments are high in cost because they require expensive reagents, which often have to be imported. It is this fact that has prevented countries from developing this expertise.

“Governments are unable or unwilling to support and fund ongoing genomic surveillance of many pathogens, as it requires financial investment,” he said during Devex’s Prescription for Progress event on Tuesday.

On the other hand, although the private sector has worked to reduce costs, including developing small, portable sequencing machines, there are still questions about making reagents loom more accessible.

What are the other benefits of technology?

Noting its other benefits, the WHO chief scientist said it can also be used to track influenza types, identify the source of outbreaks of food contamination and track antimicrobial resistance.

“This is a technology that we want to use more and more in the future. And we need to come together now to see that it can happen, but in a coordinated way,” she said during the interview.

What did the WHO chief say on the new variant?

Earlier, the WHO chief pointed out that unequal access to vaccines and tests in many countries, combined with high transmission, is creating an ideal situation for new forms to emerge. “The longer this disparity continues, the longer the pandemic will last,” he also warned.

“And therefore closer cooperation between the health and finance sectors is essential,” the WHO chief said.