Commentary: mobile laboratories for SARS-CoV-2 diagnostics: what Europe could learn from the East African Community to assure trade in times of border closures

Commentary: mobile laboratories for SARS-CoV-2 diagnostics: what Europe could learn from the East African Community to assure trade in times of border closures

Jürgen May, Florian Gehre, Hakim Lagu, Emmanuel Achol, Michael Katende, Muna Affara

Abstract Background The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 mutants might lead to European border closures, which impact on trade and result in serious economic losses. In April 2020, similar border closures were observed during the first SARS-CoV-2 wave in East Africa. Main body Since 2017 the East African Community EAC together with the Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine BNITM established a mobile laboratory network integrated into the National Public Health Laboratories of the six Partner States for molecular diagnosis of viral haemorrhagic fevers and SARS-CoV-2. Since May 2020, the National Public Health Laboratories of Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda and South Sudan deployed these mobile laboratories to their respective borders, issuing a newly developed “Electronic EAC COVID-19 Digital Certificate” to SARS-CoV-2 PCR-negative truck drivers, thus assuring regional trade. Conclusion Considering the large financial damages of border closures, such a mobile laboratory network as demonstrated in East Africa is cost-effective, easy to implement and feasible. The East African Community mobile laboratory network could serve as a blueprint for Europe and other countries around the globe.

2021

covid-19, Pandemic, BSL-4, border closures, Mobile Laboratories, SARS-CoV-2 diagnostics

10.1186/s12992-021-00700-9

Epidemiology and Health

Korean Society of Epidemiology

Public aspects of medicine