Kcl Test: an open-source inspired asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 surveillance programme in an academic institution

Joana Reis de Andrade; Edward Scourfield; Shilpa Lekhraj Peswani-Sajnani; Kate Poulton; Thomas Ap Rees; Paniz Khooshemehri; George Doherty; Stephanie Ong; Iustina-Francisca Ivan; Negin Goudarzi; Isaac Gardiner; Estelle Caine; Thomas J A Maguire; Daniel Leightley; Luis Torrico; Alex Gasulla; Angel Menendez-Vazquez; Ana Maria Ortega-Prieto; Suzanne Pickering; Jose M Jimenez-Guardeño; Rahul Batra; Sona Rubinchik; Aaron V F Tan; Amy Griffin; David Sherrin; Stelios Papaioannou; Celine Trouillet; Hannah E Mischo; Victoriano Giralt; Samantha Wilson; Martin Kirk; Stuart J D Neil; Rui Pedro Galao; Jo Martindale; Charles Curtis; Mark Zuckerman; Reza Razavi; Michael H Malim; Rocio T Martinez-Nunez

doi:10.1093/biomethods/bpae046

Kcl Test: an open-source inspired asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 surveillance programme in an academic institution

Joana Reis de Andrade, Edward Scourfield, Shilpa Lekhraj Peswani-Sajnani, Kate Poulton, Thomas Ap Rees, Paniz Khooshemehri, George Doherty, Stephanie Ong, Iustina-Francisca Ivan, Negin Goudarzi, Isaac Gardiner, Estelle Caine, Thomas J A Maguire, Daniel Leightley, Luis Torrico, Alex Gasulla, Angel Menendez-Vazquez, Ana Maria Ortega-Prieto, Suzanne Pickering, Jose M Jimenez-GuardeñoRahul Batra, Sona Rubinchik, Aaron V F Tan, Amy Griffin, David Sherrin, Stelios Papaioannou, Celine Trouillet, Hannah E Mischo, Victoriano Giralt, Samantha Wilson, Martin Kirk, Stuart J D Neil, Rui Pedro Galao, Jo Martindale, Charles Curtis, Mark Zuckerman, Reza Razavi, Michael H Malim, Rocio T Martinez-Nunez

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

3 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Rapid and accessible testing was paramount in the management of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our university established KCL TEST: a SARS-CoV-2 asymptomatic testing programme that enabled sensitive and accessible PCR testing of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in saliva. Here, we describe our learnings and provide our blueprint for launching diagnostic laboratories, particularly in low-resource settings. Between December 2020 and July 2022, we performed 158277 PCRs for our staff, students, and their household contacts, free of charge. Our average turnaround time was 16 h and 37 min from user registration to result delivery. KCL TEST combined open-source automation and in-house non-commercial reagents, which allows for rapid implementation and repurposing. Importantly, our data parallel those of the UK Office for National Statistics, though we detected a lower positive rate and virtually no delta wave. Our observations strongly support regular asymptomatic community testing as an important measure for decreasing outbreaks and providing safe working spaces. Universities can therefore provide agile, resilient, and accurate testing that reflects the infection rate and trend of the general population. Our findings call for the early integration of academic institutions in pandemic preparedness, with capabilities to rapidly deploy highly skilled staff, as well as develop, test, and accommodate efficient low-cost pipelines.

Original language	English
Article number	bpae046
Pages (from-to)	bpae046
Journal	Biology Methods and Protocols
Volume	9
Issue number	1
Early online date	20 Jun 2024
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1093/biomethods/bpae046
Publication status	Published - 2024

Access to Document

10.1093/biomethods/bpae046Licence: CC BY-NC

KCL TEST an open-source_Andrade_publishedonline20June2024_Gold_VOR (CC BY-NC)Final published version, 1.56 MBLicence: CC BY-NC

Cite this

Reis de Andrade, J., Scourfield, E., Peswani-Sajnani, S. L., Poulton, K., Ap Rees, T., Khooshemehri, P., Doherty, G., Ong, S., Ivan, I.-F., Goudarzi, N., Gardiner, I., Caine, E., Maguire, T. J. A., Leightley, D., Torrico, L., Gasulla, A., Menendez-Vazquez, A., Ortega-Prieto, A. M., Pickering, S., ... Martinez-Nunez, R. T. (2024). Kcl Test: an open-source inspired asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 surveillance programme in an academic institution. Biology Methods and Protocols, 9(1), bpae046. Article bpae046. https://doi.org/10.1093/biomethods/bpae046

@article{1713421a10a849b58d6b85d9acf977d0,

title = "Kcl Test: an open-source inspired asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 surveillance programme in an academic institution",

abstract = "Rapid and accessible testing was paramount in the management of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our university established KCL TEST: a SARS-CoV-2 asymptomatic testing programme that enabled sensitive and accessible PCR testing of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in saliva. Here, we describe our learnings and provide our blueprint for launching diagnostic laboratories, particularly in low-resource settings. Between December 2020 and July 2022, we performed 158277 PCRs for our staff, students, and their household contacts, free of charge. Our average turnaround time was 16 h and 37 min from user registration to result delivery. KCL TEST combined open-source automation and in-house non-commercial reagents, which allows for rapid implementation and repurposing. Importantly, our data parallel those of the UK Office for National Statistics, though we detected a lower positive rate and virtually no delta wave. Our observations strongly support regular asymptomatic community testing as an important measure for decreasing outbreaks and providing safe working spaces. Universities can therefore provide agile, resilient, and accurate testing that reflects the infection rate and trend of the general population. Our findings call for the early integration of academic institutions in pandemic preparedness, with capabilities to rapidly deploy highly skilled staff, as well as develop, test, and accommodate efficient low-cost pipelines.",

author = "{Reis de Andrade}, Joana and Edward Scourfield and Peswani-Sajnani, {Shilpa Lekhraj} and Kate Poulton and {Ap Rees}, Thomas and Paniz Khooshemehri and George Doherty and Stephanie Ong and Iustina-Francisca Ivan and Negin Goudarzi and Isaac Gardiner and Estelle Caine and Maguire, {Thomas J A} and Daniel Leightley and Luis Torrico and Alex Gasulla and Angel Menendez-Vazquez and Ortega-Prieto, {Ana Maria} and Suzanne Pickering and Jimenez-Guarde{\~n}o, {Jose M} and Rahul Batra and Sona Rubinchik and Tan, {Aaron V F} and Amy Griffin and David Sherrin and Stelios Papaioannou and Celine Trouillet and Mischo, {Hannah E} and Victoriano Giralt and Samantha Wilson and Martin Kirk and Neil, {Stuart J D} and Galao, {Rui Pedro} and Jo Martindale and Charles Curtis and Mark Zuckerman and Reza Razavi and Malim, {Michael H} and Martinez-Nunez, {Rocio T}",

note = "{\textcopyright} The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press.",

year = "2024",

doi = "10.1093/biomethods/bpae046",

language = "English",

volume = "9",

pages = "bpae046",

journal = "Biology Methods and Protocols",

issn = "2396-8923",

publisher = "Oxford University Press",

number = "1",

}

Reis de Andrade, J, Scourfield, E, Peswani-Sajnani, SL, Poulton, K , Ap Rees, T , Khooshemehri, P , Doherty, G , Ong, S , Ivan, I-F , Goudarzi, N, Gardiner, I, Caine, E, Maguire, TJA , Leightley, D, Torrico, L, Gasulla, A, Menendez-Vazquez, A , Ortega-Prieto, AM , Pickering, S , Jimenez-Guardeño, JM, Batra, R, Rubinchik, S, Tan, AVF, Griffin, A, Sherrin, D, Papaioannou, S, Trouillet, C, Mischo, HE, Giralt, V, Wilson, S, Kirk, M, Neil, SJD , Galao, RP, Martindale, J, Curtis, C, Zuckerman, M, Razavi, R , Malim, MH & Martinez-Nunez, RT 2024, 'Kcl Test: an open-source inspired asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 surveillance programme in an academic institution', Biology Methods and Protocols, vol. 9, no. 1, bpae046, pp. bpae046. https://doi.org/10.1093/biomethods/bpae046

TY - JOUR

T1 - Kcl Test

T2 - an open-source inspired asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 surveillance programme in an academic institution

AU - Reis de Andrade, Joana

AU - Scourfield, Edward

AU - Peswani-Sajnani, Shilpa Lekhraj

AU - Poulton, Kate

AU - Ap Rees, Thomas

AU - Khooshemehri, Paniz

AU - Doherty, George

AU - Ong, Stephanie

AU - Ivan, Iustina-Francisca

AU - Goudarzi, Negin

AU - Gardiner, Isaac

AU - Caine, Estelle

AU - Maguire, Thomas J A

AU - Leightley, Daniel

AU - Torrico, Luis

AU - Gasulla, Alex

AU - Menendez-Vazquez, Angel

AU - Ortega-Prieto, Ana Maria

AU - Pickering, Suzanne

AU - Jimenez-Guardeño, Jose M

AU - Batra, Rahul

AU - Rubinchik, Sona

AU - Tan, Aaron V F

AU - Griffin, Amy

AU - Sherrin, David

AU - Papaioannou, Stelios

AU - Trouillet, Celine

AU - Mischo, Hannah E

AU - Giralt, Victoriano

AU - Wilson, Samantha

AU - Kirk, Martin

AU - Neil, Stuart J D

AU - Galao, Rui Pedro

AU - Martindale, Jo

AU - Curtis, Charles

AU - Zuckerman, Mark

AU - Razavi, Reza

AU - Malim, Michael H

AU - Martinez-Nunez, Rocio T

PY - 2024

Y1 - 2024

N2 - Rapid and accessible testing was paramount in the management of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our university established KCL TEST: a SARS-CoV-2 asymptomatic testing programme that enabled sensitive and accessible PCR testing of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in saliva. Here, we describe our learnings and provide our blueprint for launching diagnostic laboratories, particularly in low-resource settings. Between December 2020 and July 2022, we performed 158277 PCRs for our staff, students, and their household contacts, free of charge. Our average turnaround time was 16 h and 37 min from user registration to result delivery. KCL TEST combined open-source automation and in-house non-commercial reagents, which allows for rapid implementation and repurposing. Importantly, our data parallel those of the UK Office for National Statistics, though we detected a lower positive rate and virtually no delta wave. Our observations strongly support regular asymptomatic community testing as an important measure for decreasing outbreaks and providing safe working spaces. Universities can therefore provide agile, resilient, and accurate testing that reflects the infection rate and trend of the general population. Our findings call for the early integration of academic institutions in pandemic preparedness, with capabilities to rapidly deploy highly skilled staff, as well as develop, test, and accommodate efficient low-cost pipelines.

AB - Rapid and accessible testing was paramount in the management of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our university established KCL TEST: a SARS-CoV-2 asymptomatic testing programme that enabled sensitive and accessible PCR testing of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in saliva. Here, we describe our learnings and provide our blueprint for launching diagnostic laboratories, particularly in low-resource settings. Between December 2020 and July 2022, we performed 158277 PCRs for our staff, students, and their household contacts, free of charge. Our average turnaround time was 16 h and 37 min from user registration to result delivery. KCL TEST combined open-source automation and in-house non-commercial reagents, which allows for rapid implementation and repurposing. Importantly, our data parallel those of the UK Office for National Statistics, though we detected a lower positive rate and virtually no delta wave. Our observations strongly support regular asymptomatic community testing as an important measure for decreasing outbreaks and providing safe working spaces. Universities can therefore provide agile, resilient, and accurate testing that reflects the infection rate and trend of the general population. Our findings call for the early integration of academic institutions in pandemic preparedness, with capabilities to rapidly deploy highly skilled staff, as well as develop, test, and accommodate efficient low-cost pipelines.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85198736884&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1093/biomethods/bpae046

DO - 10.1093/biomethods/bpae046

M3 - Article

C2 - 38993523

SN - 2396-8923

VL - 9

SP - bpae046

JO - Biology Methods and Protocols

JF - Biology Methods and Protocols

IS - 1

M1 - bpae046

ER -

Kcl Test: an open-source inspired asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 surveillance programme in an academic institution

Abstract

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this