covid-19 pandemic.Much of the research to overcome covid-19 is directed at developing vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics, and specimens collected from covid-19 patients can be a valuable resource aiding these efforts.The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has notified 16 bio-repositories, or bio banks, for collecting, storing and maintaining clinical samples of covid-19 patients.
These include oral and nasalswabs, broncheoalveolar lavage (lungs washing), sputum, blood, urine and stool.“Covid-19 bio repositories have collected more than 40,000 samples, which have been made available to researchers and the industry for developing diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines," said health minister Harsh Vardhan on Tuesday.