RAPID IMPLEMENTATION OF REAL-TIME REVERSE-TRANSCRIPTION POLYMERASE CHAIN REACTION (REAL-TIME RT-PCR) ASSAY FOR THE DETECTION OF SARS-COV-2 IN A MOROCCAN HOSPITAL

Authors

  • Bouchra BELEFQUIH Biolife medical analysis laboratory
  • Wissal MAHER Microbiology Laboratory, Cheikh-Zaid University Hospital, Abulcasis University of Health Sciences, Rabat, Morocco
  • Amine CHEIKH Microbiology Laboratory, Cheikh-Zaid University Hospital, Abulcasis University of Health Sciences,
  • Wail HAMDANI Microbiology Laboratory, Cheikh-Zaid University Hospital, Abulcasis University of Health Sciences, Rabat, Morocco
  • Younes ZAID
  • Hakima KABBAJ Central Virology Laboratory, Ibn Sina University Hospital Center, Rabat Morocco,
  • Meryem SEFFAR Central Virology Laboratory, Ibn Sina University Hospital Center, Rabat Morocco,
  • Hanae DAKKA Laboratory of Biology of Human Pathologies, Faculty of Sciences, Mohammed V University, Rabat, Morocco
  • Khaoula HADAMI Biolife Medical Analysis Laboratory, Harhoura, Temara, Morocco
  • Afaf ALLAOUI Microbiology Laboratory, Cheikh-Zaid University Hospital, Abulcasis University of Health Sciences, Rabat, Morocco
  • Amina BENOUDA Microbiology Laboratory, Cheikh-Zaid University Hospital, Abulcasis University of Health Sciences, Rabat, Morocco

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.21010/Ajid%20v16i2S.8

Keywords:

SARS-CoV2; RT-PCR

Abstract

Background: The main challenge faced in the African countries was to implement efficient molecular diagnostic facilities and start Covid-19 diagnosis as fast as possible to handle the rapid and unpredictable rise of cases.

Materials, Methods and Results: We describe our experience in implementing a molecular biology unit at Sheikh Zaïd International University Hospital in Rabat, with a delay as short as one week, and starting real-time RT-PCR assay for the detection of SARS-Cov-2 infection, since the outbreak widened in Morocco in mid-March, 2020.

Conclusion: The challenges encountered in the first period of Covid-19 pandemic are still present. This work aims to give an example of a rapid and adaptive response in order to maintain our diagnosis ability for Covid-19 and for other pathogens

References

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC] (2020). Research use only 2019-novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) real-time RT-PCR primers and probes. Atlanta: CDC; 2020. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/lab/rt-pcr-panel-primer-probes.html

Corman VM, Landt O, Kaiser M, Molenkamp R, Meijer A, Chu DKW et al. (2020). Detection of 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) by real-time RT-PCR. Eurosurveillance. 25(3): 2000045. doi: 10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2020.25.3.2000045.

Cucinotta D and Maurizio Vanelli M. (2020). WHO Declares COVID-19 a Pandemic. Acta Biomedica. 91(1): 157–160. doi: 10.23750/abm.v91i1.9397.

Gorbalenya AE, Baker SC, Baric RS, de Groot RJ, Drosten C, Gulyaeva AA, et al. (2020). Coronaviridae Study Group of the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses. The species severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus: classifying 2019-nCoV and namingit SARS-CoV-2. Nature Microbiology.5(4):536-544. doi: 10.1038/s41564-020-0695-z.

Konrad R, Eberle U, Dangel A, Treis B, Berger A, Bengs K, et al. (2020). Rapid establishment of laboratory diagnostics for the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 in Bavaria, Germany, February 2020. Eurosurveillance. 25(9): pii= 2000173. doi: 10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2020.25.9.2000173.

Ministry of Health, The Official Portal of Coronavirus in Morocco. Bulletin épidémiologique N9 du 06/08/2020. Available from: http://www.covidmaroc.ma/Pages/SituationCovid.aspx

Pfefferle S, Reucher S; Nörz D and Lütgehetmann M. (2020). Evaluation of a quantitative RT-PCR assay for the detection of the emerging coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 using a highthroughput system. Eurosurveillance. 25(9):2000152. doi: 10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2020.25.9.2000152.

The Global Fund. COVID-19 Situation Report – 21 April 2020. Available from: https://www.theglobalfund.org/media/9553/covid19_2020-04-21-situation_report_en.pdf

Wang D, Hu B, Hu C, Zhu F, Liu X, Zhang J, et al. (2020). Clinical Characteristics of 138 Hospitalized Patients With 2019 Novel Coronavirus-Infected Pneumonia in Wuhan, China. Journal of the American Medical Association. 323(11):1061-1069. doi: 10.1001/jama.2020.1585.

WHO (2016). Regional Office for South-East Asia. Establishment of PCR laboratory in developing countries, 2nd edition .2016. Available from: https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/249549

WHO (2020). Laboratory biosafety guidance related to coronavirus disease (COVID-19): Interim guidance, 12 February 2020. Available from: https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/331138/WHO-WPE-GIH-2020.1-eng.pdf

WHO (2020). Laboratory testing for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in suspected human cases: interim guidance. 2020. Available from: https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/10665-331501

WHO (2020). COVID-19 Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) Global research and innovation forum. 2020. Available from: https://www.who.int/publications/m/item/covid-19-public-health-emergency-of-international-concern-(pheic)-global-research-and-innovation-forum

Zhu N, Zhang D, Wang W, Li X, Yang B, Song J, et al. (2020). China Novel Coronavirus Investigating and Research Team. A novel coronavirus from patients with pneumonia in China, 2019. The New England Journal of Medicine. 382(8):727-33. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa2001017.

Downloads

Published

2022-08-17

How to Cite

BELEFQUIH, B., MAHER , W., CHEIKH , A., HAMDANI , W., ZAID , Y., KABBAJ , H., SEFFAR , M., DAKKA , H., HADAMI , K., ALLAOUI, A., & BENOUDA , A. (2022). RAPID IMPLEMENTATION OF REAL-TIME REVERSE-TRANSCRIPTION POLYMERASE CHAIN REACTION (REAL-TIME RT-PCR) ASSAY FOR THE DETECTION OF SARS-COV-2 IN A MOROCCAN HOSPITAL. African Journal of Infectious Diseases (AJID), 16(2), 72–77. https://doi.org/10.21010/Ajid v16i2S.8

Issue

Vol. 16 No. 2 (2022): Supplementary

Section

Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2022 African Journal of Infectious Diseases (AJID)

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Copyright: Creative Commons Attribution CC BY This license lets others distribute, remix, tweak, and build upon your work, even commercially, as long as they credit you for the original creation. This is the most accommodating of licenses offered. Recommended for maximum dissemination and use of licensed materials. View License Deed | View Legal Code Authors can also self-archive their manuscripts immediately and enable public access from their institution's repository. This is the version that has been accepted for publication and which typically includes author-incorporated changes suggested during submission, peer review and in editor-author communications.