tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Virol J
. 2024 Feb 10;21(1):40.
doi: 10.1186/s12985-024-02308-y. Nationwide quality assurance of high-throughput diagnostic molecular testing during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic: role of the Belgian National Reference Centre
Reile Janssen[SUP] #[/SUP][SUP] 1 [/SUP], Lize Cuypers[SUP] #[/SUP][SUP] 2 3 [/SUP], Lies Laenen[SUP] #[/SUP][SUP] 2 3 [/SUP], Els Keyaerts[SUP] 2 3 [/SUP], Kurt Beuselinck[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Sunita Janssenswillen[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Bram Slechten[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Jannes Bode[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Elke Wollants[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Kristel Van Laethem[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Annabel Rector[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Mandy Bloemen[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Anke Sijmons[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Nathalie de Schaetzen[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Arnaud Capron[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Kurt Van Baelen[SUP] 7 [/SUP], Thierry Pascal[SUP] 8 [/SUP], Céline Vermeiren[SUP] 9 [/SUP], Fabrice Bureau[SUP] 10 [/SUP], Jo Vandesompele[SUP] 11 [/SUP], Pieter De Smet[SUP] 12 [/SUP], Wouter Uten[SUP] 13 [/SUP], Hugues Malonne[SUP] 14 15 16 [/SUP], Pierre Kerkhofs[SUP] 17 [/SUP], Jo De Cock[SUP] 18 [/SUP], Veerle Matheeussen[SUP] 19 [/SUP], Bruno Verhasselt[SUP] 20 [/SUP], Laurent Gillet[SUP] 21 [/SUP], Gautier Detry[SUP] 22 [/SUP], Bertrand Bearzatto[SUP] 23 [/SUP], Jonathan Degosserie[SUP] 24 [/SUP], Coralie Henin[SUP] 25 [/SUP], Gregor Pairoux[SUP] 6 [/SUP]; COVID-19 Genomics Belgium Consortium; Piet Maes[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Marc Van Ranst[SUP] 2 5 [/SUP], Katrien Lagrou[SUP] 2 3 [/SUP], Elisabeth Dequeker[SUP] 2 26 [/SUP], Emmanuel André[SUP] 2 3 [/SUP]
Collaborators, Affiliations
Since the onset of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in Belgium, UZ/KU Leuven has played a crucial role as the National Reference Centre (NRC) for respiratory pathogens, to be the first Belgian laboratory to develop and implement laboratory developed diagnostic assays for SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) and later to assess the quality of commercial kits. To meet the growing demand for decentralised testing, both clinical laboratories and government-supported high-throughput platforms were gradually deployed across Belgium. Consequently, the role of the NRC transitioned from a specialised testing laboratory to strengthening capacity and coordinating quality assurance. Here, we outline the measures taken by the NRC, the national public health institute Sciensano and the executing clinical laboratories to ensure effective quality management of molecular testing throughout the initial two years of the pandemic (March 2020 to March 2022).
Keywords: Belgium; COVID-19; High-throughput testing; National reference centre; Quality assurance; SARS-CoV-2.
. 2024 Feb 10;21(1):40.
doi: 10.1186/s12985-024-02308-y. Nationwide quality assurance of high-throughput diagnostic molecular testing during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic: role of the Belgian National Reference Centre
Reile Janssen[SUP] #[/SUP][SUP] 1 [/SUP], Lize Cuypers[SUP] #[/SUP][SUP] 2 3 [/SUP], Lies Laenen[SUP] #[/SUP][SUP] 2 3 [/SUP], Els Keyaerts[SUP] 2 3 [/SUP], Kurt Beuselinck[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Sunita Janssenswillen[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Bram Slechten[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Jannes Bode[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Elke Wollants[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Kristel Van Laethem[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Annabel Rector[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Mandy Bloemen[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Anke Sijmons[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Nathalie de Schaetzen[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Arnaud Capron[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Kurt Van Baelen[SUP] 7 [/SUP], Thierry Pascal[SUP] 8 [/SUP], Céline Vermeiren[SUP] 9 [/SUP], Fabrice Bureau[SUP] 10 [/SUP], Jo Vandesompele[SUP] 11 [/SUP], Pieter De Smet[SUP] 12 [/SUP], Wouter Uten[SUP] 13 [/SUP], Hugues Malonne[SUP] 14 15 16 [/SUP], Pierre Kerkhofs[SUP] 17 [/SUP], Jo De Cock[SUP] 18 [/SUP], Veerle Matheeussen[SUP] 19 [/SUP], Bruno Verhasselt[SUP] 20 [/SUP], Laurent Gillet[SUP] 21 [/SUP], Gautier Detry[SUP] 22 [/SUP], Bertrand Bearzatto[SUP] 23 [/SUP], Jonathan Degosserie[SUP] 24 [/SUP], Coralie Henin[SUP] 25 [/SUP], Gregor Pairoux[SUP] 6 [/SUP]; COVID-19 Genomics Belgium Consortium; Piet Maes[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Marc Van Ranst[SUP] 2 5 [/SUP], Katrien Lagrou[SUP] 2 3 [/SUP], Elisabeth Dequeker[SUP] 2 26 [/SUP], Emmanuel André[SUP] 2 3 [/SUP]
Collaborators, Affiliations
- PMID: 38341597
- PMCID: PMC10858549
- DOI: 10.1186/s12985-024-02308-y
Since the onset of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in Belgium, UZ/KU Leuven has played a crucial role as the National Reference Centre (NRC) for respiratory pathogens, to be the first Belgian laboratory to develop and implement laboratory developed diagnostic assays for SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) and later to assess the quality of commercial kits. To meet the growing demand for decentralised testing, both clinical laboratories and government-supported high-throughput platforms were gradually deployed across Belgium. Consequently, the role of the NRC transitioned from a specialised testing laboratory to strengthening capacity and coordinating quality assurance. Here, we outline the measures taken by the NRC, the national public health institute Sciensano and the executing clinical laboratories to ensure effective quality management of molecular testing throughout the initial two years of the pandemic (March 2020 to March 2022).
Keywords: Belgium; COVID-19; High-throughput testing; National reference centre; Quality assurance; SARS-CoV-2.