Sidra Medicine develops new method for COVID-19 Testing

Sidra Medicine’s clinical and research team has developed a new COVID-19 virus testing method. The method addresses the challenge of global shortages in conventional kits, by proposing a different RNA (ribonucleic acid) extraction using alternative test components.

Dr. Patrick Tang, Division Chief of Pathology Sciences at Sidra Medicine said: “When extraction kits are limited, the delays in sample processing can lead to natural degradation of the viral RNA, potentially leading to false negative results. This comes with the risk of releasing infectious individuals back into the community. COVID-19 has brought the scientific and medical sectors together from across the world, to urgently seek effective and safe alternatives”.

“As a CAP-accredited pathology lab at an academic hospital, Sidra Medicine’s clinical and research teams sought to come up with alternative solutions to address the global challenges around the shortage of materials and delays in COVID-19 tests,” he added.

Over the past two weeks, the teams of Dr. Mohammad Rubayet Hasan from the Molecular Infectious Diseases (MID) Lab in the Pathology Department and of Dr. Stephan Lorenz from the Clinical Genomics Lab (CGL) in the Research Department co-developed and extensively validated their custom, in-house RNA extraction method using alternative test components. The team implemented a solution that not only matched the sensitivity of standard clinical methods being used worldwide, but also required less reagents and running time. Importantly, the entire mechanism was established in a controlled lab setting, making it possible to implement right away.

Sidra Medicine is not a COVID-19 designated hospital and does not treat COVID-19 patients. For any inquiries regarding COVID-19, call Qatar’s Ministry of Public Health hotline: 16000.