Rapid Response to SARS-CoV-2 in Aotearoa New Zealand: Implementation of a Diagnostic Test and Characterization of the First COVID-19 Cases in the South Island
It has been 20 months since we first heard of SARS-CoV-2, the novel coronavirus detected in the Hubei province, China, in December 2019, responsible for the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, a myriad of studies aimed at understanding and controlling SARS-CoV-2 have been published at a pace that...
Guardado en:
| Autores principales: | , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Formato: | article |
| Lenguaje: | EN |
| Publicado: |
MDPI AG
2021
|
| Materias: | |
| Acceso en línea: | https://doaj.org/article/e924a726be34468da8ff531e79a3abee |
| Etiquetas: |
Agregar Etiqueta
Sin Etiquetas, Sea el primero en etiquetar este registro!
|
| id |
oai:doaj.org-article:e924a726be34468da8ff531e79a3abee |
|---|---|
| record_format |
dspace |
| spelling |
oai:doaj.org-article:e924a726be34468da8ff531e79a3abee2021-11-25T19:13:29ZRapid Response to SARS-CoV-2 in Aotearoa New Zealand: Implementation of a Diagnostic Test and Characterization of the First COVID-19 Cases in the South Island10.3390/v131122221999-4915https://doaj.org/article/e924a726be34468da8ff531e79a3abee2021-11-01T00:00:00Zhttps://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/13/11/2222https://doaj.org/toc/1999-4915It has been 20 months since we first heard of SARS-CoV-2, the novel coronavirus detected in the Hubei province, China, in December 2019, responsible for the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, a myriad of studies aimed at understanding and controlling SARS-CoV-2 have been published at a pace that has outshined the original effort to combat HIV during the beginning of the AIDS epidemic. This massive response started by developing strategies to not only diagnose individual SARS-CoV-2 infections but to monitor the transmission, evolution, and global spread of this new virus. We currently have hundreds of commercial diagnostic tests; however, that was not the case in early 2020, when just a handful of protocols were available, and few whole-genome SARS-CoV-2 sequences had been described. It was mid-January 2020 when several District Health Boards across New Zealand started planning the implementation of diagnostic testing for this emerging virus. Here, we describe our experience implementing a molecular test to detect SARS-CoV-2 infection, adapting the RT-qPCR assay to be used in a random-access platform (Hologic Panther Fusion<sup>®</sup> System) in a clinical laboratory, and characterizing the first whole-genome SARS-CoV-2 sequences obtained in the South Island, right at the beginning of the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak in New Zealand. We expect that this work will help us and others prepare for the unequivocal risk of similar viral outbreaks in the future.Blair LawleyJenny GrantRhodri HarfootJackson M. TreeceRobert DayLeonor C. HernándezJo-Ann L. StantonJames E. UssherMiguel E. Quiñones-MateuMDPI AGarticleSARS-CoV-2COVID-19diagnostic testwhole-genome sequencingNew ZealandMicrobiologyQR1-502ENViruses, Vol 13, Iss 2222, p 2222 (2021) |
| institution |
DOAJ |
| collection |
DOAJ |
| language |
EN |
| topic |
SARS-CoV-2 COVID-19 diagnostic test whole-genome sequencing New Zealand Microbiology QR1-502 |
| spellingShingle |
SARS-CoV-2 COVID-19 diagnostic test whole-genome sequencing New Zealand Microbiology QR1-502 Blair Lawley Jenny Grant Rhodri Harfoot Jackson M. Treece Robert Day Leonor C. Hernández Jo-Ann L. Stanton James E. Ussher Miguel E. Quiñones-Mateu Rapid Response to SARS-CoV-2 in Aotearoa New Zealand: Implementation of a Diagnostic Test and Characterization of the First COVID-19 Cases in the South Island |
| description |
It has been 20 months since we first heard of SARS-CoV-2, the novel coronavirus detected in the Hubei province, China, in December 2019, responsible for the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, a myriad of studies aimed at understanding and controlling SARS-CoV-2 have been published at a pace that has outshined the original effort to combat HIV during the beginning of the AIDS epidemic. This massive response started by developing strategies to not only diagnose individual SARS-CoV-2 infections but to monitor the transmission, evolution, and global spread of this new virus. We currently have hundreds of commercial diagnostic tests; however, that was not the case in early 2020, when just a handful of protocols were available, and few whole-genome SARS-CoV-2 sequences had been described. It was mid-January 2020 when several District Health Boards across New Zealand started planning the implementation of diagnostic testing for this emerging virus. Here, we describe our experience implementing a molecular test to detect SARS-CoV-2 infection, adapting the RT-qPCR assay to be used in a random-access platform (Hologic Panther Fusion<sup>®</sup> System) in a clinical laboratory, and characterizing the first whole-genome SARS-CoV-2 sequences obtained in the South Island, right at the beginning of the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak in New Zealand. We expect that this work will help us and others prepare for the unequivocal risk of similar viral outbreaks in the future. |
| format |
article |
| author |
Blair Lawley Jenny Grant Rhodri Harfoot Jackson M. Treece Robert Day Leonor C. Hernández Jo-Ann L. Stanton James E. Ussher Miguel E. Quiñones-Mateu |
| author_facet |
Blair Lawley Jenny Grant Rhodri Harfoot Jackson M. Treece Robert Day Leonor C. Hernández Jo-Ann L. Stanton James E. Ussher Miguel E. Quiñones-Mateu |
| author_sort |
Blair Lawley |
| title |
Rapid Response to SARS-CoV-2 in Aotearoa New Zealand: Implementation of a Diagnostic Test and Characterization of the First COVID-19 Cases in the South Island |
| title_short |
Rapid Response to SARS-CoV-2 in Aotearoa New Zealand: Implementation of a Diagnostic Test and Characterization of the First COVID-19 Cases in the South Island |
| title_full |
Rapid Response to SARS-CoV-2 in Aotearoa New Zealand: Implementation of a Diagnostic Test and Characterization of the First COVID-19 Cases in the South Island |
| title_fullStr |
Rapid Response to SARS-CoV-2 in Aotearoa New Zealand: Implementation of a Diagnostic Test and Characterization of the First COVID-19 Cases in the South Island |
| title_full_unstemmed |
Rapid Response to SARS-CoV-2 in Aotearoa New Zealand: Implementation of a Diagnostic Test and Characterization of the First COVID-19 Cases in the South Island |
| title_sort |
rapid response to sars-cov-2 in aotearoa new zealand: implementation of a diagnostic test and characterization of the first covid-19 cases in the south island |
| publisher |
MDPI AG |
| publishDate |
2021 |
| url |
https://doaj.org/article/e924a726be34468da8ff531e79a3abee |
| work_keys_str_mv |
AT blairlawley rapidresponsetosarscov2inaotearoanewzealandimplementationofadiagnostictestandcharacterizationofthefirstcovid19casesinthesouthisland AT jennygrant rapidresponsetosarscov2inaotearoanewzealandimplementationofadiagnostictestandcharacterizationofthefirstcovid19casesinthesouthisland AT rhodriharfoot rapidresponsetosarscov2inaotearoanewzealandimplementationofadiagnostictestandcharacterizationofthefirstcovid19casesinthesouthisland AT jacksonmtreece rapidresponsetosarscov2inaotearoanewzealandimplementationofadiagnostictestandcharacterizationofthefirstcovid19casesinthesouthisland AT robertday rapidresponsetosarscov2inaotearoanewzealandimplementationofadiagnostictestandcharacterizationofthefirstcovid19casesinthesouthisland AT leonorchernandez rapidresponsetosarscov2inaotearoanewzealandimplementationofadiagnostictestandcharacterizationofthefirstcovid19casesinthesouthisland AT joannlstanton rapidresponsetosarscov2inaotearoanewzealandimplementationofadiagnostictestandcharacterizationofthefirstcovid19casesinthesouthisland AT jameseussher rapidresponsetosarscov2inaotearoanewzealandimplementationofadiagnostictestandcharacterizationofthefirstcovid19casesinthesouthisland AT miguelequinonesmateu rapidresponsetosarscov2inaotearoanewzealandimplementationofadiagnostictestandcharacterizationofthefirstcovid19casesinthesouthisland |
| _version_ |
1718410188773392384 |