26 die of Covid-19 at AMU, VC asks ICMR to perform analysis of samples from AMU Lab

NEW DELHI – After the death of over 26 serving and retired faculty members at Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) due to Covid-19, Vice Chancellor AMU Professor Tariq Mansoor has requested Director General Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) to perform analysis of Covid-19 samples sent from AMU Lab to investigate for any particular viral variants of Covid- 19 virus circulating in Aligarh.

Pertinently, 16 serving and 10 retired faculty members of Aligarh Muslim University at Agra succumbed to Covid-19 1n 20 days. Among the deceased is the brother of incumbent Vice Chancellor as well.

Renowned Sanskrit scholar and former chairman of the department of Sanskrit, Prof Khalid Bin Yusuf (56) is also among the deceased. He was the first Muslim scholar to earn a doctorate in Rigveda.

There are speculations that that a particular viral variant may be circulating in the Civil Lines area of Aligarh.

In a letter to Prof. Balram Bhargava Director General, ICMR New Delhi, a copy of which lies with news agency Kashmir News Trust, Vice Chancellor, AMU, Prof Tariq Mansoor informs that 16 serving faculty members of Aligarh Muslim University along with a number of retired teachers and other category of employees living on campus and adjoining localities have succumbed to Covid-19.

The Vice Chancellor writes that this is giving rise to suspicion that a particular viral variant may be circulating in the Civil Lines area of Aligarh in which AMU and many other adjoining localities are situated.

“The ICMR approved Covid- 19 testing Laboratory of Microbiology Department of JN Medical College, AMU is sending samples as per ICMR guidelines for viral genome sequencing to CSIR Institute of Genomic and Integrated Biology, New Delhi. I kindly request you to instruct the concerned section / department of ICMR to perform analysis of Covid-19 samples sent from our Lab to investigate for any particular viral variants of Covid- 19 virus circulating in Aligarh, which may be giving rise to greater severity of disease, so that we may consider other epidemiological links and measures to control the same as per advice and recommendations,” VC Aligarh Muslim University writes. – (KNT)