The Corona virus pandemic has resulted in situations where by clinical laboratory and testing for SARS-CoV-2 amidst worldwide discussions on how to end it. Clinical Laboratories have in turn came out with ways to develop, validate and implement a series of molecular and serological assays to test for the presence of Coronavirus. Through immense research conducted globally, laboratory clinics have made it easier to identify cases, making informed decisions on isolation and ways to reduce the spread of the virus. Due to increased cases, the demand for testing has increased immensely. With the increase in demand came challenges. Below are some of the challenges faced in the coronavirus test.
The first challenge in the testing of coronavirus is in an adequate supply of test reagents. Due to the immense increase in several cases and people to be tested, clinical laboratories are forced to do more with less time. In some places where the issue is rampant, the pooling strategy is advised. This is where samples from different individuals maybe 3, 5, or 10 people are combined and tested as one. Where the resulting test negative all individuals are taken to be negative. In cases where the results become positive then the individual test is retaken. In this case it makes the whole process even longer.
The second challenge in the test for coronavirus is in the accuracy of the results. Due to the increased demand for the tests, clinical laboratories are using different tests to detect COVID19. For instance, in cases where air swabs as a method of collecting samples are used, there is a likelihood of a positive individual to test negative due to lack of, nucleic acid materials in the sample.
The last challenge is difficulties in obtaining a sample from individuals. As we know the commonly used methods of obtaining samples can be very uncomfortable for many. A nose and throat swab for an exam makes many people flinch. This poses a challenge especially when you have several other people waiting.
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