At key testing centre in Pune, 604 samples checked so far

Video conference with labs to multiple tests for nCoV samples — National Institute of Virology isn’t taking any chances

At ICMR-NIV (left), Director Dr Priya Abraham counts sourcing quality reagents from overseas to conduct tests as among the centre’s early challenges. Express Photo by Pavan Khengre

It’s a busy day at the Indian Council of Medical Research-National Institute of Virology (ICMR-NIV) in Pune. At the institute’s influenza centre, Director Dr Priya Abraham takes a quick round of the cordoned-off specimen processing room that holds a highly secure biosafety cabinet. It is here that the processing of nasal and throat swab samples, including of those suspected to be infected with the 2019 novel coronavirus (nCoV), is underway.

Between January 24 and February 7, 604 samples have been tested at the institute that is at the centre of the country’s efforts to deal with the nCoV outbreak. So far, three of these samples have tested positive. Across the country, over 1,300 samples have been tested at 14 other virus research diagnostic laboratories (VRDLs), including those at the apex ICMR-NIV lab.

“Around mid-December, we started following reported cases of mysterious pneumonia in China. Even before nCoV hit the headlines, we had formed an outbreak response group of ICMR-NIV doctors trained in community health (epidemiologists).

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As the numbers increased in China, we proactively ordered primers, probes and controls from Hong Kong and Berlin, where laboratories to test for nCoV globally were first set up. There were many challenges, including sourcing international quality reagents from overseas to get the tests rolling,” says Dr Abraham.

The samples arrive at the centre in a three-layered packing in a virus transport medium from across the country, and are handled carefully in the biosafety cabinet by technologists in protective gear. The samples are then separated into small portions and carefully labelled. They are then sent to another unit where nucleic acid extraction followed by the real-time polymerase chain reaction tests are conducted to detect whether the sample is positive or negative for nCoV. Every sample is checked for, besides nCoV, 18 other respiratory viruses, a process which takes about four hours.

If a sample tests positive for nCoV, it goes through three different types of real-time tests — a screening assay and two confirmatory assays — and finally undergoes genome sequencing. The positive sample, along with other negative samples, is sent to the Bio Safety Level-4 laboratory at ICMR-NIV’s Pashan centre on the outskirts of Pune, where another team of scientists conduct tests on them. “We ensure that results of both laboratories are concordant, and then we match them with our results again. We have to be really sure when a sample is declared positive,” says Dr Abraham.

After monitoring the tests, Dr Abraham joins a video conference with Dr Nivedita Gupta, senior scientist at ICMR, experts at the National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases (NICED), Kolkata, and the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, along with other laboratories. Through the daily video conferencing exercise, scientists at ICMR-NIV discuss how to handle the samples and run the nCoV assays with other labs.

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“A total of 106 Virus Research and Diagnostic Laboratories (VRDL) have been functional and 13 have been strategically placed near international airports, and are empowered to test samples at the primary level for nCoV,” explains Dr R R Gangakhedkar, the national epidemiology chief at ICMR, who is in Pune to monitor the exercise. The VRDLs then report the results of the assays done to the Pune centre, which has been providing the standard operating procedures and personal protective equipment where needed.

As the ICMR-NIV team responds to technical queries during the video conference, Dr Balram Bhargava, ICMR chief and director-general, joins in to check if the situation is under control.

With the WHO declaring the nCoV outbreak a global health emergency, the security at the ICMR’s apex laboratory has also been tightened, and samples are expected any time, during the day or at night. “Dedicated team work, commitment and inter-dependency among all units has led to a successful response to the outbreak,” says Dr Bhargava.

Anuradha Mascarenhas

Anuradha Mascarenhas is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With a career spanning three decades, she is one of the most respected voices in Indian journalism regarding healthcare, science and environment and research developments. She also takes a keen interest in covering women's issues . Professional Background Education: A gold medalist in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a Master’s degree in Literature. Author: She authored the biography At The Wheel Of Research, which chronicles the life and work of Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, the former Chief Scientist at the WHO. Key Focus: She combines scientific accuracy with storytelling, translating complex medical research into compelling public and human-interest narratives. Awards and Recognition Anuradha has won several awards including the Press Council of India's national award for excellence in journalism under the gender based reporting category in 2019 and the Laadli Media award (gender sensitivity -2024). A recipient of the Lokmat journalism award (gender category-2022), she was also shortlisted for the RedInk awards for excellence in journalism-2021. Her debut book At The Wheel Of Research, an exclusive biography of Dr Soumya Swaminathan the inaugural chief scientist of World Health Organisation was also nominated in the Popular Choice Category of JK Paper AUTHER awards. She has also secured competitive fellowships including the Laadli Media Fellowship (2022), the Survivors Against TB – New Research in TB Media Fellowship (2023) and is part of the prestigious 2025 India Cohort of the WomenLift Health Leadership Journey.” Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) 1. Cancer & Specialized Medical Care "Tata Memorial finds way to kill drug-resistant cancer cells" (Nov 26, 2025): Reporting on a breakthrough for triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of the disease. Discipline, diet and purpose; How a 97-year-old professor defies ageing'' (Nov 15, 2025) Report about Prof Gururaj Mutalik, the first Head of Department at Pune's B J Government Medical College who at 97 credits his longevity to healthy habits and a strong sense of purpose. 2. Environmental Health (The "Breathless Pune" Series) Long-term exposure even to 'moderate' air leads to chronic heart, lung, kidney issues" (Nov 26, 2025): Part of an investigative series highlighting that even "safe" pollution levels are damaging to vital organs. "For every 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 level, there was 6-8% jump in medicine sales" (Nov 23, 2025): Using commercial data to prove the direct link between air quality and respiratory illnesses in Pune. 3. Lifestyle & Wellness News "They didn't let cancer, diabetes and heart disease stop them from travelling" (Dec 22, 2025): A collaborative piece featuring survivors who share practical tips for traveling with chronic conditions. At 17, his BP shot up to 200/120 mmHG; Lancet study flags why child and teen hypertension doubled between 2000 and 2020'' (Nov 12,2025)--A report that focusses on 17-year-old-boy's hypertensive crisis and reflects the rising global trend of high blood pressure among children and adolescents. 4. Scientific Recognition & Infrastructure For promoting sci-comm, gender diversity: IUCAA woman prof highlighted in Nature" (Nov 25, 2025): Covering the global recognition of Indian women scientists in gender studies and physics. Pune researchers find a spiral galaxy like the Milky Way from early universe'' (December 3, 2025)- A report on how Indian researchers discovered a massive galaxy that existed when the universe was just 1.5 billion years old , one of the earliest to have been observed so far. Signature Beat: Health, Science & Women in Leadership Anuradha is known for her COVID-19 reportage, where she was one of the first journalists to provide detailed insights into the Covishield and Covaxin trials. She has a dedicated interest in gender diversity in health and science, often profiling women researchers who are breaking the "leaky pipeline" in STEM fields. Her writing style is scrupulous, often featuring interviews with top-tier scientists and health experts from various institutions. ... Read More

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