The first analysis of a new point-of-care 'nucleic acid test' for SARS-CoV-2 in a UK hospital setting shows these machines dramatically reduce time spent on COVID-19 ‘holding’ wards – allowing patients to be treated or discharged far quicker than with current lab testing set-ups.
The rapid diagnostic capability of SAMBA II devices – an average of 2.6 hours compared with 26.4 hours for standard lab tests – led to an increased availability of ‘isolation rooms’ needed for infected patients, as well as fewer hospital bay closures.
University of Cambridge researchers behind the new study, currently a pre-print and awaiting peer-review, say that the time and hospital capacity spared by these devices will be “critical as we move towards autumn and winter”.
The SAMBA II machine was developed by a University spinout company, Diagnostics in the Real World, and deployed for trials in Addenbrooke’s Hospital, part of Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (CUH).
“The backlog of routine operations and screenings as a result of the pandemic is a huge issue, and must be resolved ahead of winter, when the NHS will face even more pressure from other infections like norovirus and influenza,” said study lead author Professor Ravi Gupta.
“Rapidly testing admissions for SARS-CoV-2 at the point of care is essential for reducing COVID-19 transmission in hospitals, speeding up access to urgent care and allowing safe discharge to care homes. It could make all the difference in a few months’ time.”
“Use of point-of-care testing would speed up the identification of patients for COVID-19 clinical trials, and receiving an experimental treatment a day earlier could make a clinical difference."
Image: SAMBA II testing machines
Credit: Diagnostics for the Real World
Reproduced courtesy of the University of Cambridge