RESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Rapid detection of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Corona Virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) is the most reliable method used worldwide. Although the incidence of the disease has increased globally, the limited availability of PCR kits has become the major bottleneck for the diagnosis of COVID positive patients. METHODS: Random samples were pooled for two months in group of two-five and tested for SARS-CoV-2. If the pool was negative, all individuals in the pool were reported negative. If the pool was positive, then the individual samples were retested to identify the positive individual. RESULTS: The mean cycle threshold (Ct) value of pooled samples was not significantly different with that of individual samples for N, ORF-1ab and E genes. Also, pooling saved more than 60% of reagents, time and effort, workforce and cost. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, the positivity rate was around 5% and saving of reagent, cost, time and manpower was more than 60%.
Asunto(s)
COVID-19 , Humanos , COVID-19/diagnóstico , COVID-19/epidemiología , SARS-CoV-2/genética , Reacción en Cadena en Tiempo Real de la Polimerasa/métodos , Análisis Costo-Beneficio , Nepal , Sensibilidad y Especificidad , Reacción en Cadena de la Polimerasa de Transcriptasa InversaRESUMEN
Introduction: COVID-19 was first reported on 31 December 2019 from China. It was first confirmed in Nepal on 23 January 2020. Government enforced first wave of nationwide ‘lockdown’ for one week on 24 March 2020 and fourth from 16 April for 12 days. This paper aims to compute effectiveness of lockdown on COVID-19 cases in Nepal. Method: Doubling times were calculated using official COVID-19 records first, and then, the number of COVID-19 cases based on various doubling time scenarios staring 23 January 2020 were computed and compared with the official cases of Nepal. All the calculations were done in Microsoft Excel. Result: Doubling time was 60-day between first and second case, 5-day between 2nd and 5th, 15-day between 5th and 12th and again 5-day between 12th to 30th cases. Doubling time increased to 15-day after the lockdown. Estimated doubling time was 28 days till March, 21 days till 12 April and 18 days till 17 April 2020 and it is expected to reach 15 days on 24 April 2020. Conclusion: The reported COVID-19 cases doubling time was 5, 15 and 5 days in Nepal after the lockdown. The doubling time increased due to lockdown. Keyword: COVID-19, doubling time, Nepal