In the parking lot of the lab, this Wednesday afternoon, Vincent Peyle and his collaborators are fighting to put up a tent. The rain is coming and will complicate the samples in this improvised "drive-in" in Romans-sur-Isère (Drôme) as part of the fight against the coronavirus. But for Dr Peyle, co-manager of the Unibio group, which has 30 medical biology sites in Rhône-Alpes, the most difficult is not there. "We lack everything, he sighs, tests, swabs, protective masks, gowns, gloves ..."
Covid-19 screening tests are now reserved for healthcare workers and the most seriously ill patients. And the analysis laboratories only receive by appointment, after medical prescription. But even under these conditions, they fail to meet demand. "I have a person entirely dedicated to finding the missing material," says Dr. Peyle. To operate, this lab, like many others, uses the “D system”.
"Without a mask, it is not possible"
"We use swabs dedicated to other samples, it's less practical, but it works," says the biologist. The main problem is the lack of protections. We make very contaminating gestures. Without a mask, it is not possible. Finding them is a daily concern. “That day, Vincent Peyle is delighted to have found a stock with an electrician. Outdated masks of course, but they will do the trick. “We normally have to change it twice a day. There, we have two masks per week and per person, and it does not work out. "
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For Dr. Lionel Barrand, a biologist in Strasbourg (Bas-Rhin), the situation is even more tense: “We could do five times more analyzes if there were no shortage of reagents and swabs. Unfortunately, we do not receive our orders. This specialist, who works in the heart of one of the regions most affected by the Covid-19 epidemic, is sorry to have to "refuse half of the requests every day, including caregivers and patients with symptoms of comorbidity ”, that is to say those most at risk.
"It's as if we had the car, the driver, but no gas," says the man who is also president of the Union of Young Medical Biologists. To overcome the shortage of reagents, Dr. Barrand pleads for the use of serology, that is to say blood tests. "It's a reliable method, faster and cheaper," he argues. But we are still awaiting validation from the authorities. Another advantage, serology makes it possible to detect antibodies to determine afterwards if an individual who has not shown symptoms has been in contact with the virus, and if he is immunized, allow him to no longer confine himself.
Only two companies in France produce tests
If French labs lack equipment, for Justin Breysse, spokesperson for a collective of 16 doctors' associations and unions, it is, in part, because of the authorities. "Stocks, it builds up, it anticipates," he says. A shortage which he also attributes to industrial choices. “There are two companies in France that produce these tests, Eurobio and Novacyt, but most come from Asia and the United States. "
The objective of the Director General of Health, Jérôme Salomon, to test 29,000 patients per day the week of March 30, seems to him illusory. "It is not enough, we have to go much further, we must test absolutely all caregivers," he said. "We should be able to perform 50,000 tests per day," estimates Lionel Barrand. We're three weeks late. "
