Wits seeks participants to help develop SA’s own Covid-19 test

If you have tested positive for Covid-19 or have been in close contact with someone infected but tested negative, the Wits University wants you to help them in South Africa’s own coronavirus rapid test kit study.

Professor Elizabeth Mayne, head of immunology at the university and the principal investigator for this study, said testing for coronavirus is currently extremely difficult and expensive. She said current tests needed a full laboratory and the tests took up to 48-hours for a result, saying though rapid testing kits were available, results were not always accurate.

“We are under pressure to find tests that work. If the results aren’t accurate, someone could believe that they don’t have coronavirus, not self-isolate and go on to infect others,” Mayne said.

She said they need 300 participants for the study to check various rapid tests that are being brought into South Africa to make sure that they work.

“We need samples from people who have had coronavirus or who have antibodies for coronavirus to be able to test this,” Mayne said.

The study has been approved by the University of the Witwatersrand Human Research Ethics Committee and participants will be given full details about the study.

She explained that the rapid test under investigation immobilises antigen from the virus on a card and that, if the patient has antibodies, they attach and it gives a colour band like that in a pregnancy test.

A nurse, wearing full personal protective equipment (PPE), will come to the participant’s home, take around eight teaspoons of blood, some saliva and some mouth or throat swabs.

The patient will be asked for information such as age, underlying conditions like high blood pressure and chronic lung diseases, any medications being taken, when he or she tested positive, travel history and asked if they had any symptoms.

“Participants will not be able to get the results of their tests. These samples will be used to create banks of known positive and negative controls that scientists around the country can use to quickly and accurately test any rapid or serological tests,” Mayne explained.

She said participation was entirely voluntary and participants could withdraw at any time without giving a reason, and this will have no effect on the diagnosis or treatment.

“So far we have had about 20 people come forwards but we need as many as possible,” Mayne told The Citizen on Wednesday.

– siphom@citizen.co.za

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