Coronavirus test capacity at risk due to lack of laboratory equipment
All kinds of materials that are essential to determine whether someone is infected with the coronavirus are scarce. Shortages threaten to jeopardize the progress of diagnostics. In the Netherlands, relatively few people are already being tested for the virus.
"Scarcity expects molecular diagnostics soon, solutions are being sought," a report of a meeting on Covid-19 disease last Wednesday said. Several things are required to test someone for the corona virus. First, cotton swabs, which can be used to take throat and nose samples from people who may be infected. Those bars are scarce.
The molecule rna is isolated from the samples of these patients in a device. This requires plastic plates, the so-called platforms, and there is also a shortage of them. These plates have filter tips, pipette tips with a small filter. Same story: stocks have shrunk considerably and shortages are imminent. Then liquids are still needed for the process and there is also a shortage of them.
Shortages all the time
Ann Vossen is chairman of the Dutch Association for Medical Microbiology and a virologist at the LUMC in Leiden. She was present at the above meeting. "The shortages are really big," says Vossen, "every lab is now trying to find stuff. But if you solve one shortage, for example of plastic plates, then the next is yet another shortage. The real problem is that producers around the world are unable to meet demand. "
"Health Care Stops"
In addition to diagnostics, there are significant shortages of protective equipment for healthcare providers. These currently make up about a quarter of all confirmed corona infections.
The Elkerliek Hospital in Helmond warns that care will be stopped if the employees can no longer be protected. "We want to emphasize that our care will stop if the right protective equipment is no longer available. Working without it cannot and should not happen. The safety of our patients and employees is paramount."
The actual tests are usually purchased in Europe or the US. "In America we can no longer buy anything," says Vossen, "that is a problem. And there is a large producer in Italy, Copan, who still produce, but everyone wants to buy. Everyone is looking everywhere for ways to stock up to fill."
Vossen says that a number of Dutch laboratories have started to make the test liquids again. "just like we used to. There are now Dutch companies working on making cotton swabs. If there are, we get a little air. The actual tests are the most pressing problem. Not all tests that are offered are suitable for us . "
The head of microbiology at the Amphia Hospital in Breda says that there is a shortage of everything, but that there are still things for a week.