Abstract
BackgroundAs the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic unfolds, laboratory services have been identified as key to its containment. This article outlines the laboratory organisation and management and control interventions in Niger.InterventionThe capitol city of Niger, Niamey, adopted a ‘National COVID-19 Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan’ to strengthen the preparedness of the country for the detection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2. Laboratory training and diagnostic capacity building were supported by existing active clinical and research laboratories for more rapid and practicable responses. The National Reference Laboratory for Respiratory Viruses located at the Centre de Recherche Médicale et Sanitaire was designated as the reference centre for COVID-19 testing. The national plan for COVID-19 testing is being gradually adopted in other regions of the country in response to the rapidly evolving COVID-19 emergency and to ensure a more rapid turn-around time.Lessons learntAfter the decentralisation of COVID-19 testing to other regions of the country, turn-around times were reduced from 48–72 h to 12–24 h. Reducing turn-around times allowed Niger to reduce the length of patients’ stays in hospitals and isolation facilities. Shortages in testing capacity must be anticipated and addressed. In an effort to reduce risk of shortages and increase availability of reagents and consumables, Niamey diversified real-time reverse transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction kits for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 detection.RecommendationsContinued investment in training programmes and laboratory strategy is needed in order to strengthen Niger’s laboratory capacity against the outbreak.
Highlights
As the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic unfolds, laboratory services have been identified as key to its containment
The disease, later named the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization, is caused by a species of coronavirus known as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), which belongs to the family Coronaviridae and the genus Betacoronavirus.[1,2,3]
Real-time reverse transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction is the gold standard method used to detect the presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in clinical specimens
Summary
In December 2019, a new viral respiratory infection emerged. The infection was first detected and reported in the Chinese province of Hubei and has since spread globally, affecting people and socio-economic development in both developing and developed countries. As of 15 June 2020, 175 503 laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases were reported in Africa, with 4111 deaths.[4] These figures make Africa the continent least affected by this pandemic, with the most significantly affected countries in the region being South Africa (70 038 cases), Nigeria (16 085 cases), Ghana (11 422 cases), and Algeria (10 919 cases).[4]. The index case in the Republic of Niger was detected on 19 March 2020 This was an imported case involving a 36-year old man who arrived by road from Burkina Faso. Declaration of the index case, a total of 980 cases have been confirmed as of 15 June 2020.5. As this pandemic unfolds, laboratory services have been identified as key to containment efforts. This article outlines the laboratory organisation and management and control interventions in Niger
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