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Frimpong M, Amoako YA, Anim KB, Ahor HS, Yeboah R, Arthur J, Dakorah JS, Gborgblovor D, Akrofi S, Sekyi-Djan P, Owusu M, Sylverken AA, Binger T, Phillips RO. Diagnostics for COVID-19: A case for field-deployable, rapid molecular tests for community surveillance. Ghana Med J 2021; 54:71-76. [PMID: 33976444 PMCID: PMC8087371 DOI: 10.4314/gmj.v54i4s.11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Across the globe, the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic is causing distress with governments doing everything in their power to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) to prevent morbidity and mortality. Actions are being implemented to keep health care systems from being overstretched and to curb the outbreak. Any policy responses aimed at slowing down the spread of the virus and mitigating its immediate effects on health care systems require a firm basis of information about the absolute number of currently infected people, growth rates, and locations/hotspots of infections. The only way to obtain this base of information is by conducting numerous tests in a targeted way. Currently, in Ghana, there is a centralized testing approach, that takes 4–5 days for samples to be shipped and tested at central reference laboratories with results communicated to the district, regional and national stakeholders. This delay in diagnosis increases the risk of ongoing transmission in communities and vulnerable institutions. We have validated, evaluated and deployed an innovative diagnostic tool on a mobile laboratory platform to accelerate the COVID-19 testing. A preliminary result of 74 samples from COVID-19 suspected cases has a positivity rate of 12% with a turn-around time of fewer than 3 hours from sample taking to reporting of results, significantly reducing the waiting time from days to hours, enabling expedient response by the health system for contact tracing to reduce transmission and additionally improving case management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Frimpong
- Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana.,Department of Molecular Medicine, KNUST School of Medicine and Dentistry, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Yaw A Amoako
- Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana.,Department of Medicine, Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Kwadwo B Anim
- AngloGold Ashanti Health Foundation, AngloGold Ashanti Obuasi Mine, Obuasi, Ghana.,Obuasi Health Directorates, Ghana Health Service, Obuasi, Ghana
| | - Hubert S Ahor
- Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana.,Department of Molecular Medicine, KNUST School of Medicine and Dentistry, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Richmond Yeboah
- Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Joshua Arthur
- Public Health, Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Justin S Dakorah
- AngloGold Ashanti Health Foundation, AngloGold Ashanti Obuasi Mine, Obuasi, Ghana.,Obuasi Health Directorates, Ghana Health Service, Obuasi, Ghana
| | | | - Samuel Akrofi
- Customs Laboratory, Ghana Revenue Authority, Accra, Ghana
| | | | - Michael Owusu
- Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Augustina A Sylverken
- Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana.,Department of Theoretical and Applied Biology, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Tabea Binger
- Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Richard O Phillips
- Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana.,Department of Medicine, Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Kumasi, Ghana
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