Validating GeneXpert platform for SARS-COV-2 diagnosis for remote sites in Eastern Indonesia

Controlling the spread of COVID-19 in Indonesia requires access to SARS-CoV-2 diagnoses. Currently in Indonesia, there are only 526 tests per 1,000,000 population compared to 2,681 tests, 3,264 tests and > 30,000,000 tests per 1,000,000 people in Vietnam, Thailand and Singapore. Islands in Indonesia have limited access to rtPCR laboratories. The extent of the spread of SARS-CoV-2, especially in the impoverished region of eastern Indonesia, is currently unknown. Limited supplies, combined with special costs, difficulty in transportation, and large backlogs at central laboratories prevent timely COVID-19 diagnoses in most of Eastern Indonesia. We aim to leverage the networks available on the GeneXpert (Cephid,USA) diagnostic technology platform (MDR TB) in Eastern Indonesia to overcome the near-non-existent situation of COVID-19 diagnostic services in Indonesia. This region. FDA-approved COVID-19 test kits are available from Cepheid at a discounted price for low- and middle-income countries of $19.80/test. We continue to aim to authenticate the use of saliva for this platform, thereby simplifying sampling and logistics. We envision this allowing access to low cost SARS-CoV-2 diagnostics and results within 1 hour using the available tools and logistics of the GeneXpert technique. We will demonstrate the accuracy and usefulness of the GeneXpert COVID-19 diagnostic test by leveraging our expertise, our experience and network in the remote island region of Sumba in Eastern Indonesia. We will use two existing GeneXpert tools and the new state central hospital testing facility for West Sumba. - Target Validate the effectiveness of SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis by analyzing fresh and dried saliva using GeneXpert technique among 300 patients being treated for fever at Karitas Hospital; Describe the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 among patients treated for fever at Karitas Hospital; Validate the actual diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 by analyzing 300 saliva samples on filter paper collected at remote clinics and sent to Karitas Hospital; Describe the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 among patients being treated for fever at health stations in the remote Kodi ward in Sumba.