Forensic DNA examination in the pandemic era of COVID-19: An Indian Perspective (original) (raw)
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Forensic DNA testing during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic
Forensic Science International: Genetics, 2020
Elsevier has created a COVID-19 resource centre with free information in English and Mandarin on the novel coronavirus COVID-19. The COVID-19 resource centre is hosted on Elsevier Connect, the company's public news and information website. Elsevier hereby grants permission to make all its COVID-19-related research that is available on the COVID-19 resource centre-including this research content-immediately available in PubMed Central and other publicly funded repositories, such as the WHO COVID database with rights for unrestricted research re-use and analyses in any form or by any means with acknowledgement of the original source. These permissions are granted for free by Elsevier for as long as the COVID-19 resource centre remains active.
Advances in Infectious Diseases, 2021
Rapid and accurate laboratory diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection is crucial for the management of COVID-19 patients and control of the spread of the virus. At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Bangladesh had only one government molecular laboratory where real-time RT-PCR would be performed to diagnose SARS-CoV-2 infection. With the increasing number of suspected cases requiring confirmation diagnostic testing, there is a requirement to expand capacity for large-scale testing quickly. The government of Bangladesh established over 100 molecular laboratories within one year to test COVID-19. To expand the testing capacity, the government was compelled to recruit laboratory staff with limited experience and technical expertise, especially in molecular assays, to process specimens, interpret results, troubleshoot. As a result, the risk of diagnostic errors, such as cross-contamination, increased, potentially undermining the efficacy of public health policies, public health response, surveillance programs, and restrictive measures aimed toward containing the outbreak. In this piece, we discuss the different sources of crosscontamination in the COVID-19 RT-PCR laboratories and proffer practical How to cite this paper:
A mobile DNA laboratory for forensic science adapted to coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis
European Journal of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases
The Forensic Science Institute of the French "Gendarmerie Nationale" (IRCGN™) developed in 2015 an ISO 17025 certified mobile DNA laboratory for genetic analyses. This Mobil'DNA laboratory is a fully autonomous and adaptable mobile laboratory to perform genetic analyses in the context of crime scenes, terrorism attacks or disasters. To support the hospital task force in Paris during the peak of the COVID-19 epidemic, we adapted this mobile genetic laboratory to perform high-throughput molecular screening for coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 by real-time PCR. We describe the adaptation of this Mobil'DNA lab to assist in Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis.
International Journal of Legal Studies (IJOLS), 2020
Bloodstain pattern analysis is inseparably present in forensic genetics, crime scene investigation, the examination of evidence, and paper casework. It times of pandemic related to COVID-19 it is crucial to be aware of obstacles, barriers, and threats that await every expert who deals with forensic biological material. This new situation is an excellent time to go back and point out what are the primary guidelines that reduce the contamination of evidence and increase the protection of practitioners and experts during their work. Some evident principles that exist during crime scene investigation should be used in a more safe environment. The main goal of this article is to show what is the primary indicator that will help to reduce the danger of contamination by Coronavirus Diseases (COVID-19) during the prosecution of work. Bloodstain pattern analysis is a vast discipline. Other experts can use guidelines that will be shown in this article. Numerous forensic fields can benefit from this information. Subjects such as fingerprint, trace evidence, ballistics, forensic genetics, an examination of the evidence on a crime scene or during paper casework, even handwriting during crime scene investigation.
WHO has published laboratory testing guidelines for COVID-19 in suspected cases. Recognizing that the global spread of COVID-19 has dramatically increased the number of suspected cases and the geographic area where laboratory testing needed to be implemented,intensified with shortage of molecular testing's and reagents can meet the definition and help us to understand the prevention and proper safety measures of samples. The 2019 Coronavirus pandemic which was initially referred to as 2019-nCoV, was first identified in Wuhan, China. Early response from the Chinese government included quarantine of infected persons, isolation and total lockdown of Wuhan province to prevent further spread. With the spread of the disease across national borders and declaration of the disease as a global pandemic, there has been a robust response by the international community to contain this deadly virus and prevent its further spread worldwide. Jharkhand, a developing state of INDIA with a population of approximately 3.19 crores is not left out of this pandemic with documented cases of 132 and 3 deaths as per till date. Although extensive studies have been carried out on this novel SARS-CoV2 on its pathogenesis, mode of infection and virulence but still it is unknown and assumptions are being made. However, potentially infectious samples are received routinely in the medical laboratory for analysis. This technical note reviews good laboratory practice (GLP) and processes across the different specialties of Medical Laboratory practice that should minimize the risk of infection to laboratory staff especially in resource-limited settings like RIMS, RANCHI, JHARKHAND, which is the biggest and core center for COVID-19.
Forensic Medicine Practice In The Time Of COVID-19 Pandemic: Challenges And Future Perspectives
2020
In the last few months, COVID-19 pandemic caused some challenges for forensic practitioners. The crimes are still being committed and people still die due to causes not related to COVID-19 pandemic, where the forensic practitioners is asked to clinically examine some cases and identify the cause of and manner of death of others. Consequently, the forensic physicians will continue to examine victims of violence and the forensic pathologists should keep doing the autopsy of the corps of those killed by murder , suicide, accidentally or even sudden and unexpected death (like cases of heart attack or stroke). As any other individual in the community, these medico-legal cases may also be infected with COVID-19. SO, all forensic practitioners are at risk to catch COVID-19 infection either during examination of clinical cases that may be infected or during autopsy of infected bodies. The purpose of this review article is to know the potential risks facing forensic practitioners during exam...
International Journal of Research in Medical Sciences
COVID-19, caused by SARS-CoV-2 virus which is declared as a pandemic by the WHO on March 2020 has made a huge difference in the practice and daily activities of the laboratory services. There are high chances of receiving potentially infectious samples to the laboratory for various tests. Authors propose a few biosafety measures in the preparation and processing of various pathology specimens received to the lab during this pandemic time in correlation with guidelines given by WHO. These safety measures aim at protecting and safe guarding the laboratory staff, trainees, and pathologists by minimizing the exposure to COVID-19.
Indian journal of Pathology and Microbiology, 2020
Declared as a pandemic by WHO on March 11, 2020, COVID-19 has brought about a dramatic change in the working of different laboratories across the country. Diagnostic laboratories testing different types of samples play a vital role in the treatment management. Irrespective of their size, each laboratory has to follow strict biosafety guidelines. Different sections of the laboratory receive samples that are variably infectious. Each sample needs to undergo a proper and well-designed processing system so that the personnel involved are not infected and also their close contacts. It takes a huge effort so as to limit the risk of exposure of the working staff during the collection, processing, reporting or dispatching of biohazard samples. Guidelines help in preventing the laboratory staff and healthcare workers from contracting the disease which has a known human to human route of transmission and high rate of mortality. A well-knit approach is the need of the hour to combat this fast spreading disease. We anticipate that the guidelines described in this article will be useful for continuing safe work practices by all the laboratories in the country.
2020
The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has brought about the unprecedented expansion of highly sensitive molecular diagnostics as a primary infection control strategy. At the same time, many laboratories have shifted focus to SARS-CoV-2 research and diagnostic development, leading to large-scale production of nucleic acids that can interfere with these tests. We have identified multiple instances, in independent laboratories, in which nucleic acids generated in research settings are suspected to have caused researchers to test positive for SARS-CoV-2 in surveillance testing. In some cases, the affected individuals did not work directly with these nucleic acids, but were exposed via a contaminated surface or object. Though researchers have long been vigilant of DNA contaminants, the transfer of these contaminants in SARS-CoV-2 testing samples results in anomalous test results. The impact of these stretches into the public sphere, placing additional burdens on public health resources, placing affect...
A roadmap to the safe practice of forensic medicine in the COVID-19 pandemic
Journal of Forensic and Legal Medicine, 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic has forced forensic practitioners to consider how we perform our normal duties, especially when those duties involve humans. The potential for contracting the virus from working in close contact with living sufferers is high, and we have yet to fully determine the risk of infection from the deceased. In an attempt to support the community, the Journal of Forensic & Legal Medicine has drawn together three articles which underline the importance of continued forensic medical practice during the pandemic and highlight some factors to consider in a Roadmap towards safe practice. Our Roadmap has intentionally taken an international perspective and supports other work we have published in the Journal on our collective response to the COVID-19 crisis.