This archive report was first published on 25 May 2020.
Published on May 25, 2020, Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) is making testing for coronavirus more accessible in the coastal region as part of its public health response to control the viral disease.
Researchers at the KEMRI Wellcome Trust in Kilifi have developed an immunological assay, a tool that detects virus footprints or antibodies on patients, to track the number of people who have been exposed to Covid-19 in the local population.
Immunological assays are biochemical tests that measure the presence and concentration of a macromolecule or a small molecule in a solution through the use of an antibody or an antigen.
According to Dr. Sam Muchina Kinyanjui, head of training and capacity building, the move is part of KEMRI's Covid-19 response aimed at understanding how the novel virus behaves in various populations.
Dr. Kinyanjui explained that the researchers are tracking the antibodies through a process called Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay, which can detect antibody response on a Covid-19 patient who has stayed with the virus for long and the viral load has started to reduce.
Dr. Isabella Oyier, head of the Bioscience department, said the institute has been working on basic science research in malaria, arboviruses, HIV, enteric and respiratory viruses, and malnutrition studies.
As part of the response to Covid-19, Dr. Oyier said the institute is banking on its wealth of experience in undertaking epidemiology programs, primarily focusing on arboviruses such as chikungunya, dengue fever, and zika viruses.
She added that the research centre receives samples for testing from the coastal counties of Mombasa, Kwale, Kilifi, Taita Taveta, Lamu, and Tana River.
“Currently, we have tested 10,000 samples, and the figure might look small because we have to do control tests due to the stringent quality assurance process that we have to follow,” Dr. Oyier said.
