The biological analysis laboratories are running at full speed. With the rise of the Omicron variant, they are increasingly in demand. For Sylvie Cado, CEO of Cerba (700 laboratories including 500 in France), eco guest of franceinfo Thursday January 13,”for now, it holds“. But the leader adds: “I think we’re at the limit of what we can do“.
Sylvie Cado identifies two problems: the lack of qualified personnel and the strain on the reagents used for PCR tests. “At the same time the wave exploded all over the world and suppliers received a lot of requests“, she explains, “and it is true that at certain times we are at the limit of the rupture of reagents; we wait for the reagent in the morning to launch the PCRs of the day“.
According to the boss of Cerba, patients who have comorbidities, for example, need, more than others, access to PCR tests, which are more sensitive than antigen tests and self-tests. “Today, she assures, as we manage to process all the PCRs that come to us, there is no need to set a priority. But if the volumes were to increase, it would have to be done, so that those patients who particularly need a test are given priority.“.
Sylvie Cado emphasizes that the laboratories have passed, “in a few weeks, from 1.5 million to 3.5 million tests per week“:”We had to reorganize …”
“Today, we are over 90% Omicron”, underlines the CEO of Cerba, who notes that he “still exists from the Delta“. The leader, who is also a medical biologist, hopes that the epidemic will soon reach a turning point.
We may see a slight deceleration. We are not yet in a phase of decline. We think that maybe we have reached a plateau, but we are not sure.
Sylvie Cado, CEO of Cerbaon franceinfo
The laboratory, which works with public structures – “an opening to keep“, according to Sylvie Cado – continues at the same time to look for new variants: “There are some atypical profiles, but that does not mean that they will explode behind“.