After Training Central Lab Can Detect COVID Variants
The Belize Central Lab now has the capacity to detect COVID-19 variants. Before today, COVID samples were sent out to Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children’s Hospital to discover which COVID variants are in Belize. On Monday, two health practitioners returned from a two week training session on COVID sequencing. They now possess the skills to carry out this task and equipment is being set up. News Five Paul Lopez visited the lab to learn more about sequencing and how the training will improve Belize’s COVID surveillance system.
Roberto Melendez
Roberto Melendez, Medical Laboratory Scientist
“We went to Baylor College of Medicine, which is at the Texas Children Hospital in Houston. We spent two weeks their understanding the protocol for SARS COV 2sequencing.”
Paul Lopez, Reporting
Melendez received hands on training.
Roberto Melendez
“Sequencing is basically a testing method that we use to identify the different nucleotide pairs of the DNA. And based on DNA, everybody has a unique code, so based on that code we understand that the virus is SARS COV 2 and we can use it in different way, in different department, such forensic, medical field, research and also agriculture, the cultivation of crops.”
In this case, Melendez will focus his efforts on detecting COVID variants. This Nanopore sequencing machine plays an integral role in the process. Linked to a CPU, it generates the data from different strains necessary to run against a global database of variants already detected.
Roberto Melendez
“In the medical field speaking, the research will not necessarily generate any data for the physician to create a treatment of it, but in order to enhance surveillance in Belize.”
Paul Lopez
“How many days does it take to detect?”
Roberto Melendez
“That is a very good question. Sequencing is not a day procedure and it is not cheap either. It takes approximately three days to complete sequencing for forty-four samples. During those three days there are different procedures that need to be taken into consideration for a good sequencing result.”
Paul Lopez
“What is it that we are going to have to do in terms of spending to maintain this process?”
Roberto Melendez
“So, Nanopore technology has different kits that can be used. The kit we are implementing has a life span of four runs. So, within those kits there are costs and it will put a load on the budgeting.”
The Central Lab currently has five of these kits on hand.
Roberto Melendez
“The aim, I think, the Acting Director of the Laboratory is creating an algorithm because obviously we can’t sequence the entire population of Belizeans. We will look at different age groups. We will look at different geographical locations. All those criteria will be met in order to have a good sequencing outcome.”
Paul Lopez
“I suspect that when we are doing our sequencing, we are not looking for a new variant we are looking for variants that exist in the database, correct?”
Roberto Melendez
“That is right, but also since the virus is mutating rapidly, and I mentioned the data generated is compared to that database. So that database if it has a new variant coming out, it will also go ahead and detect that variant.”
Melendez says, while there are only two persons trained at the Lab for this, once the equipment is up and running, additional members of staff will be trained.
Reporting for News Five, I am Paul Lopez.
