Laboratories that are not normally authorized to carry out medical biology procedures will be able to " participate in the national screening effort " for Covid-19, confirmed this weekend the Ministry of Health, Olivier Véran. Announced by a tweet from the minister on Friday, this measure is operational “ from this Monday ”.
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It concerns public or private laboratories "which do not normally practice medical biology, but which have the equipment and personnel necessary to carry out, if necessary, a large number of tests in good conditions ", and which have volunteered to participate in the tracing operations, said a spokesman for the ministry. " These are in particular public research laboratories, veterinary laboratories and departmental laboratories ," said the same source.
Legally, this participation in the tests will take the form of a requisition, a framework " which is protective for the technicians and equipment considered ", and it " will naturally exclude the taking of the samples themselves ", adds the Ministry of Health . Many laboratories outside medical biology, notably veterinary, insisted on being authorized to carry out tests, as is the case in several neighboring countries.
The ministry specifies that this " additional screening capacity " will be mobilized in particular to strengthen tests among nursing staff and in retirement homes, which will help in these latter to " take immediate measures to avoid transmission between residents ”.
