University assets available to expand COVID-19 testing

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This article was published 01/04/2020 (2042 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A biology professor is urging Manitoba Health to tap into university resources to expand and speed up COVID-19 testing.

Jeffrey Marcus, a biological sciences professor at the University of Manitoba, believes Manitoba could increase its testing capacity by letting the Cadham Provincial Laboratory (CPL) borrow PCR machines (also known as thermal cyclers) from post-secondary schools.

The machines conduct a part of the COVID-19 test.

“There’s one sitting on the bench in my laboratory at the University of Manitoba campus gathering dust right now … These devices could be easily re-purposed to do COVID-19 testing. They are programmable,” said Marcus, who details his suggestion in an opinion column published Thursday by the Free Press.

He suggests the lab also seek help from professors, technicians and graduate students to ensure those machines run smoothly, a maintenance role he expects would reduce the workload of those certified to do the actual testing.

Marcus estimated there are about 30 or 40 PCR machines at U of M’s Fort Garry Campus and said each one could be used in up to 400 tests per day, if they work constantly and without error.

Tapping into that capacity could speed up the processing of tests and also ensure those who get tested wait less time for their results, said Marcus.

“That’s really important because there are COVID-19 infected individuals who are asymptomatic. Those folks continue to wander around, distributing the virus to other people who can then become seriously ill. If we can expand the testing capacity …. (we can) really flatten that curve,” he said.

Marcus said the lab did ask universities to compile an inventory list of more routine supplies they could provide to support testing, if needed, such as chemicals and plastic lab devices.

The professor said the University of Washington, the University of California-Berkeley, and the University of North Carolina have supported testing efforts in ways similar to what he’s suggested.

In a prepared statement, Manitoba Health said the Cadham Lab has discussed options to enhance its testing capacity with university researchers but those focused mainly on supplies and research questions.

The health department indicated it doesn’t expect to require loans of larger equipment, like the PCR machines, in the near future.

“CPL and other Manitoba medical labs have enough equipment to address the needed demand,” the statement said. “In addition, establishing another accredited and licensed medical laboratory is a process that usually takes many months.”

Manitoba is currently limiting COVID-19 tests to certain high-risk groups. That includes people with symptoms who have travelled to affected regions or had close contact with someone confirmed to have COVID-19. It also includes health-care workers, those in remote communities and those who live or work in close group settings, if they also have symptoms and risk contracting or spreading the virus.

The Cadham Lab performed 1,130 tests on Tuesday and has completed 10,044 tests so far, according to a provincial press release.

Joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @joyanne_pursaga