Title
: Mass Screening of COVID-19 using Mobile BSL2+ Laboratory
Description
: Compared to many other countries we are lagging behind in terms of testing. Also, given our current healthcare resources, testing and isolation should be our main weapon. Thus, the need for a quick and mobile testing facility is vital to tackle this pandemic in Bangladesh. Thus, Bangladesh should focus on preventive measures rather than treatment or let mass infections occur.
SARS-CoV-2, causative agent of pandemic COVID-19, is a risk group 3 agent according to Centers for Disease Control (CDC), USA and Public Health Agency of Canada, which recommends any clinical and research work with this category agent must maintain in Biosafety level (BSL)-3 laboratory facility (BSL category min 1, max 4). For performing routine clinical and laboratory procedures (not viral culture) with SARS-CoV-2, CDC recommends to maintain BSL-2 laboratory facility in an emergency interim biosafety guideline, with site and activity specific risk assessment. Out of the two mainstream test procedures, immune assay is simpler than qPCR-based method but still for processing blood serum from whole blood requires a minimum lab facility. To address this our mobile lab can easily be repurposed.
On a professional judgment we also believe that in a populous country such as Bangladesh, after carefully enacting and assessing social distancing, testing is the main strategy to control the outbreak followed by efficient management. For conducting diagnostic tests for infectious biological agents, there is no alternative to biosafety laboratories. Here we designed a small efficient BSL-3 mobile laboratory using a 40X8 square feet shipping container. This laboratory complies with WHO biosafety guideline. The main advantage of this laboratory is its short building time which is usually between 10 to 12 days. It can be installed anywhere in the country in a short period of time. This laboratory can also be easily modified and used in small scale for any clinical, diagnostic or research purposes after the necessary adjustments of the key instruments.
Timely response in any situation is the best type of investment in any domain. To efficiently handle newly emerging hotspots or clusters or any contained area immediate actions are the best antidote which entail testing of the suspects followed by isolation and proper treatments. Besides, the land and airports may need testing facilities in future. This mobile laboratory can serve better in such a dynamic scenario than existing insufficient immobile laboratory facilities.
We also proposed a laboratory information management plan using the recently built web and mobile application by the ICT division of Bangladesh government. It will help to gather all the information in a single place and in a coherent way. Thus, it will be helpful for better policy making in the future.
