NEWS RELEASE PR23-20
February 24, 2023
DPHSS GUAM PUBLIC HEALTH LABORATORY STAFF SUCCESSFULLY PERFORMS FIRST GENOMIC SEQUENCING OF SARS-CoV-2
The Director of the Department of Public Health and Social Services is pleased to announce the commencement of SARS-CoV-2 Genomic Sequencing at the Guam Public Health Laboratory (GPHL) for samples meeting Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) sample criteria. SARS-CoV-2 is the virus that causes COVID-19.
On Thursday, February 23, 2023, DPHSS received the first results of SARS-CoV-2 Genomic Sequencing that was performed and completed by the staff of GPHL. Genomic Sequencing at GPHL will be used to conduct SARS-CoV-2 variant surveillance activities to help provide a better understanding of local epidemiology and transmission and to assist in the investigation clusters of disease in various settings.
Dr. Mugdha Vasireddi, Laboratory Director for the GPHL commended GPHL, stating “GPHL staff diligently implemented sequencing, which is an ambitious and complicated project, requiring a highly coveted skill set… making this extremely valuable to not only Guam, but to every aspect of health diagnosis on the island and neighboring islands.”
DPHSS continues to work with local, federal, and regional partners to address the threat of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and its variants of concern (VOC). For more information, contact AnneMarie Santos, GPHL Administrator at annemarie.santos@dphss.guam.gov or (671) 300-9082.
