The number of PCR tests rising in Guyana

GUYANA’S HEALTH MINISTRY CONDUCTS SOME 300 TO 400 POLYMERASE CHAIN REACTION (PCR) TESTS DAILY Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony informed local media recently.

Anthony said the figure is complemented by additional tests also done in private sector health institutions across the country, minister Anthony said.

“You have Eureka Laborites, Postal Diagnosis, Sheriff Medical all of these have been offering the PCR diagnostic. We have also been using point of care PCR testing and we have built those capacities in a number of places (in Regions) One (Barima/Waini); Six (East Berbice/Corentyne); Nine (Upper Takutu/Upper Essequibo) and Ten (Upper Demerara/Berbice). Anthony also disclosed that the country’s apex health institution, the Georgetown Public Hospital Complex (GPHC) “can do the PCR testing so we are able to wait until the next day to send the sample in.”

PCR tests are done to help spot genetic material from specific organisms, such as viruses. The test helps detect the presence of a virus if you are infected at the time it is conducted.

The minister said in the past the country only had the capacity to conduct 21 tests per day and patients had to wait seven to eight hours for results.

“We are now able to decrease the processing time and increase the number of tests being done (through the new) automated system (and) so far we have not had to use the maximum capacity. We get between 300 to 400 (tests done) per day,” Minister Anthony said.

However, the public health system, through the National Public Health Reference Laboratory has the ability to conduct some 2,000 tests per day handing over results within 96 hours, because automation of the system has been broadened.

Minister Anthony said PCR testing has almost tripled in Guyana since the outbreak of the deadly COVID-19 and the expansion of automation within the system.

“For the whole of last year, we did 38,000 tests, this year we have already exceeded over 100,000 tests, so we are doing far more testing right now and that is why you are seeing that we’re picking up more cases and we are not just testing in Region Four. We are testing in all the Regions,” he noted.

“If it’s necessary they can do the antigen testing and those taken within 15 to 20 minutes to get the result. It is however a little more accurate than the PCR test but nevertheless we have enough test kits to do these tests and to make sure if any patient requires that type of testing, we are able to do,” the Minister assured.

Some private sector health institutions – hospitals and laboratories – are licensed to offer antigen testing.

1. “For antigen testing those test results would see requiring it for entry into the United States would require a negative either an antigen test or a negative PCR so anyone of these licensed laboratories would be able to give those results. If they are not licensed by us the results will not be acceptable to those authorities,” said Minister Anthony.