Diagnostics for COVID-19: A case for field-deployable, rapid molecular tests for community surveillance

Simple item page
dc.contributor.authorFrimpong, Michael
dc.contributor.authorAmoako, Yaw A.
dc.contributor.authorAnim, Kwadwo B.
dc.contributor.authorAhor, Hubert S.
dc.contributor.authorYeboah Richmond
dc.contributor.authorArthur, Joshua
dc.contributor.authorDakorah, Justin S.
dc.contributor.authorGborgblovor, Delphine
dc.contributor.authorAkrofi, Samuel
dc.contributor.authorOwusu, Michael
dc.contributor.authorSylverken, Augustina Angelina
dc.contributor.authorBinger, Tabea
dc.contributor.authorPhillips, Richard Odame
dc.contributor.authorDjan, Phyllis Sekyi
dc.contributor.orcid0000-0003-1901-6793
dc.contributor.orcid0000-0002-4642-789X
dc.contributor.orcid0000-0001-5066-150X
dc.date.accessioned2024-02-21T12:12:37Z
dc.date.available2024-02-21T12:12:37Z
dc.date.issued2020
dc.descriptionThis is an article published in Ghana Med J 2020; 54(4) supplement: 71-76 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/gmj.v54i4s.11
dc.description.abstractAcross 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.
dc.description.sponsorshipKNUST
dc.identifier.citationGhana Med J 2020; 54(4) supplement: 71-76; doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/gmj.v54i4s.11
dc.identifier.urihttp://dx.doi.org/10.4314/gmj.v54i4s.11
dc.identifier.urihttps://ir.knust.edu.gh/handle/123456789/15523
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherGhana Med J.
dc.titleDiagnostics for COVID-19: A case for field-deployable, rapid molecular tests for community surveillance
dc.typeArticle
Files
Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
ajol-file-journals_267_articles_202993_submission_proof_202993-3181-507957-1-10-20210123.pdf
Size:
1.77 MB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Description:
Download
License bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
license.txt
Size:
1.71 KB
Format:
Item-specific license agreed to upon submission
Description:
Download
Collections
Articles