MEDIA RELEASE
To: Editors & Health Journalists
Issued by: National Health Laboratory Service
Date: Monday, 15 March 2021
NHLS needs 300 volunteers for COVID-19 rapid test study
South Africans who have tested positive for coronavirus (SARS-COV2 or COVID-19) or those who have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive, and tested negative, are urgently being sought for SA’s coronavirus rapid test study.
Pathologist and the principal investigator for the study Professor Elizabeth Mayne, says that the National Health Laboratory Service needs 300 participants for a study to check various rapid tests that are being brought into South Africa to make sure that they work. “We need samples from people who have had coronavirus or who have antibodies for coronavirus to be able to test this,” says Prof Mayne.
South Africa urgently needs to increase testing for COVID-19 so that infection can be identified, traced, isolated and contained. Although several rapid diagnostic tests are already available in South Africa, they are not consistently reliable. Inaccurate test results could lead people to believe they do not have the coronavirus, so they do not self-isolate and then inadvertently infect others.
The study has been approved by the Research Ethics Committee.
What is required?
Study participants will be given full details about the study and will be able to ask questions. A nurse, wearing full personal protective equipment (PPE), will come to the participant’s home. She will take around eight teaspoons of blood, some saliva and some mouth/throat swabs.
The patient will be asked for information such as age, underlying conditions like high blood pressure and chronic lung diseases, any medications being taken, when he or she tested positive, travel history and asked if they had any symptoms. Participants will not be able to get the results of their tests.
These samples will be used to create banks of known positive and negative controls that scientists around the country can use to quickly and accurately test any rapid or serological tests.
Participation is entirely voluntary. You can withdraw consent at any time without giving a reason and this will not affect your diagnosis or treatment. If you would consider participating, please email Professor Elizabeth Mayne, elizabeth.mayne@nhls.ac.za and full information will be shared with you.
ENDS
For technical enquiries:
Professor Elizabeth Mayne
Email: elizabeth.mayne@nhls.ac.za
OR
Mzi Gcukumana
Head of Communication
Mobile: 066 376 3171
Email: mzimasi.gcukumana@nhls.ac.za
