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In his speech on Wednesday evening, President Ramaphosa once again emphasised the need for increased testing for the coronavirus.

We’ve seen testing centres pop up across South Africa, including a drive-thru testing station in Joburg, but simply obtaining the sample is not enough.

As it stands, accurately diagnosing COVID-19 relies on a laboratory test. The test itself is simple, but the diagnostic process is laborious.

The time taken from obtaining the sample to processing it, and finally communicating the result, is influenced by a number of factors.

These include the speed with which the sample reaches the lab, the lab’s capacity to run the test (test kits, access to reagents, the number of analysis machines available, and staff availability all play a role), unforeseen errors that lead to re-testing, and the communication process, or how soon the information is relayed back to the person tested.

It’s with this in mind that the immunology department at Witwatersrand University is testing existing rapid tests for COVID-19 to determine their accuracy. If they find a test that works, it would significantly decrease the time between the test and the result.

News24 reports that 72 South Africans have already signed up to participate in testing the system, but the institution needs more volunteers.

“So far [we’re] about a quarter of the way there,” head of immunology at Wits, Dr Elizabeth Mayne told News24 on Wednesday.

“Qualifying volunteers will need to submit blood and saliva samples for serological testing for Covid-19. This includes the rapid antibody tests and the formal serology assays. (An assay is a laboratory procedure to measure quantities),” the institution explained.

Volunteers need to have tested positive for the virus, or have been in contact with someone who has tested positive for the virus.

Volunteers also need to take note of the following:

• Participation is voluntary and consent can be withdrawn at any time without reason. Such withdrawal will have no effect on participants’ diagnosis or treatment.
• Participants will not be paid or in any way be financially remunerated for participating.
• Participants will not be able to get the results of their tests.
• You will be asked questions about your age, any underlying conditions you might have, such as high blood pressure and chronic lung diseases, any medications being taken, when you tested positive, your travel history and whether or not you had any symptoms.
• A nurse will be dispatched to your home. The nurse, wearing full personal protective equipment (PPE), will extract around eight teaspoons of blood from you, as well as some saliva and some mouth/throat swabs.
• These bio-samples of your blood and saliva will be used to create banks of known positive and negative controls, which scientists around the country can use to quickly and accurately evaluate any rapid or serological tests.

Mayne has stated that they would like around 300 participants, and I guess it’s an excuse to get out of the house, too.

If you meet the criteria and want to do your bit to help combat the coronavirus, email elizabeth.mayne@nhls.ac.za or call 082 337 6349 for more information.

You’re a hero.

[source:news24]