Biobanking: Strengthening Uganda’s Rapid Response to COVID-19 and Other Epidemics
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Date
2021
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Biopreservation and Biobanking
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 is a fatal disease of global public health concern. Measures to reduce its spread
critically depend on timely and accurate diagnosis of virus-infected individuals. Biobanks can have a pivotal role
in elucidating disease etiology, translation, and advancing public health. In this article, we show how a biobank
has been a critical resource in the rapid response to coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) in Uganda.
Materials and Methods: The Integrated Biorepository of H3Africa Uganda established a COVID-19 biobank.
Standard Operating Procedures for sample and data collection, sample processing, and storage were developed.
An e-questionnaire data tool was used to collect sociodemographic factors. Samples were collected at 7-day
intervals from patients, analyzed for key parameters, processed, annotated, characterized, and stored at appropriate
temperatures.
Results: Stored samples have been used in validation of 17 diagnostic kits, the Cepheid Xpert Xpress SARSCoV-
2 assay, as well as a sample pooling technique for mass screening and polymerase chain reaction assay
validation. Kits that passed validation were deployed for mass screening boosting early detection, isolation, and
treatment of COVID-19 cases. Also, 10 applications from researchers and biotech companies have been
received and approved and 4 grants have been awarded
Conclusion: The CoV-Bank has proven to be an invaluable resource in the fight against the COVID-19
pandemic in Uganda, as samples have been resources in the validation and development of COVID-19 diagnostic
tools, which are important in tracing and isolation of infected cases to confront, delay, and stop the spread
of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
Description
Keywords
Biobanking, COVID-19, Pandemic, Diagnostics, Rapid response
Citation
Kamulegeya, R., Kateete, D. P., Bagaya, B. S., Nasinghe, E., Muttamba, W., Nsubuga, G., ... & Joloba, M. L. (2021). Biobanking: Strengthening Uganda's Rapid Response to COVID-19 and Other Epidemics. Biopreservation and Biobanking. DOI: 10.1089/bio.2021.0022