A rapid Ebola diagnostic kit similar to a pregnancy kit has been developed by British military scientists and UK National Health Service medics in Sierra Leone.
It can be administered at the bedside and return its first results within 20 minutes, slashing dramatically the normal 24-hour turnaround for lab results.
Early bedside tests in the Connaught hospital in Freetown have shown a 100 percent detection rate, said Oliver Johnson, who heads a partnership between the UK’s King’s Health Partners and the hospital.
“We have 10,000 of these kits sitting in Sierra Leone waiting to go if we can get the approval,” Johnson said.
Johnson says if the kit is approved by the relevant health authorities it could transform the admissions process, allowing doctors to quickly isolate Ebola patients and release others for treatment.
“It would mean patients who don’t have Ebola could be prioritized and go straight to surgery or referred for further treatment to general wards. Ebola symptoms are so similar to other illnesses like malaria, even appendicitis,” he said.
It would also help in ruling out Ebola in women who are about to give birth, which would reduce the perceived risk in obstetric deliveries, Johnson said.
The kit has been developed by the UK’s Defence Science and Technology Laboratory and been tested by Kings Sierra Leone Partnership (KSLP).
It works in the same manner as a urinary pregnancy test, with a drop of blood drawn across filter paper.
KSLP says it is similar to an antigen rapid test recently approved by the WHO, but early tests show it outperforms with a “sensitivity of 100 percent” according to a research paper published on Friday last week by Eurosurveillance.
All equipment for the rapid diagnostic test was provided in individually packaged test kits. Capillary blood for the test was obtained using a sterile lancet to prick a finger. Blood was applied to the well of the lateral flow device with a small pipette, followed by three drops of buffer. After 20 minutes the tests were read in designated areas with good lighting and scores were obtained with the aid of a scorecard.
Although the number of Ebola cases in Sierra Leone was down to 33 in the last week of official figures compared to more than 550 at its peak in November last year, it remains a huge concern.
“Frankly, until we have zero cases for 42 days we can’t say it’s been eliminated. The country is still like dry tinder in terms of a spark going off,” Johnson said.
He said a lockdown in the country is designed to “keep the public focused” on the possible dangers.
With the falling figures there is risk of growing complacency, the government has said.
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