RAPID IMPLEMENTATION OF REAL-TIME REVERSE-TRANSCRIPTION POLYMERASE CHAIN REACTION (REAL-TIME RT-PCR) ASSAY FOR THE DETECTION OF SARS-COV-2 IN A MOROCCAN HOSPITAL.

Background: The main challenge faced in the African countries was to implement efficient molecular diagnostic facilities and start Covid-19 diagnosis as fast as possible to handle the rapid and unpredictable rise of cases.

Materials Methods And Results: We describe our experience in implementing a molecular biology unit at Sheikh Zaïd International University Hospital in Rabat, with a delay as short as one week, and starting real-time RT-PCR assay for the detection of SARS-Cov-2 infection, since the outbreak widened in Morocco in mid-March, 2020.

Conclusion: The challenges encountered in the first period of Covid-19 pandemic are still present.