NEW DELHI: The NITI Aayog on Tuesday unveiled the policy guidelines in line with the norms of the international biological weapon convention for the use of the bio-specimen and data of the Covid-19 cases, while binding the recipients for ethical and optimal public health use.
The guidelines have come amid rush to develop vaccine against the Covid-19 and related research among health institutions in public and private space. The Empowered Group 1 “Medical Emergency Management Plan”, constituted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and headed by Dr VK Paul, Member, NITI Aayog, drafted the guidelines.
“It will be obligatory upon every custodians of bio-specimens (samples of Covid-19 with the bio-repositories and hospitals) to share the bio-specimen as per the procedure and timeline. Delays will be liable for appropriate actions and accountability will be fixed,” stated the guidelines.
It also stated the categories of the samples for their classifications, transportation and storage. “Patients specimens from suspected or confirmed cases should be transported as UN3373, Biological Substance category B. Viral cultures or isolates should be transported as category A, UN2814, infectious substance, affecting humans,” stated the guidelines. It also directed that the suspected or confirmed Covid-19 specimens with proper identifications be stored with controlled access at 2-8 degree centigrade or minus 70 degrees depending on the nature of experiments.