At least 44 people, including 26 professors have died at the Aligarh Muslim University after getting infected with the lethal novel coronavirus, within just 20 days, officials said, adding the new variant is suspected to have caused the deaths.
Tariq Mansoor, Vice Chancellor of the AMU, has urged the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) to investigate the samples taken from the varsity. His brother had also died of Covid-19. Among the 26 professors who have lost their lives to Covid-19 include 16 working and 10 retired faculty members.
Officials said that samples have been collected from the university after the VC's request. The samples have been sent to the CSIR Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology in Delhi for examination.
The AMU has written a letter to ICMR, asking for a genome study of the Covid samples as soon as possible. From this study, it can be found out whether a new variant of Covid-19 has spread in the university.
Prof. Mohammad Ali Khan, 60, of the Department of Post Harvest Engineering, Prof. Kazi Mohammad Jamshed, 55, of the Department of Political Science, Sajid Ali Khan, 63, professor of the Department of Psychology, Mohammed Irfan, 62, Chairman of the Museum Department, among others are among the deceased.
Genome Sequencing
"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 adjoining localities are situated," the Vice Chancellor wrote.
Dr Arshi Khan, a professor of political science, said, "The university's cemetery is now full. This is a huge tragedy. A lot of big doctors and senior professors, including a dean and a chairman, have died. Young people - who are fit and healthy - have also died."
The PRO at AMU pointed out that the university played an important role in helping the local community when the first Covid wave struck. "This time it is worse... the mortality rate is much more this time, and it is a matter of huge concern," Shafey Qidwayi, the university's spokesperson, said.
The impact is not just on the faculty but the varsity has lost many administrative staff members and retired professors. The university played a vital role in the last year's pandemic with some students who stayed back. This year all the hostels have been vacated and nearly half of the students who stay there have vacated when the Covid second wave surfaced, said the press office.
(With inputs from IANS)
