KCL TEST: an open-source inspired asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 surveillance programme in an academic institution.

ABSTRACT: Rapid and accessible testing was paramount in the management of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our university established KCL TEST: a SARS-CoV-2 asymptomatic testing programme that enabled sensitive and accessible PCR testing of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in saliva. Here, we describe our learnings and provide our blueprint for launching diagnostic laboratories, particularly in low-resource settings. Between December 2020 and July 2022, we performed 158277 PCRs for our staff, students, and their household contacts, free of charge. Our average turnaround time was 16 h and 37 min from user registration to result delivery. KCL TEST combined open-source automation and in-house non-commercial reagents, which allows for rapid implementation and repurposing. Importantly, our data parallel those of the UK Office for N

SUBMITTER: Reis de Andrade J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11238426 | biostudies-literature | 2024

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature