Is the Biomnis laboratory and its PCR screening technique the miracle solution for detecting the variant in Île-de-France?
In order to speed up the tracing of variants, the Ivry-sur-Seine laboratory was given the green light to use this technique, which unstoppably makes it possible to detect the English, Brazilian and South African variants.
“Screening is like imagining that among a hundred samples containing the virus, I have around a hundred yellow pions” explains François Cornu, President of Eurofins Biomnis.
“The screening work will then consist in always looking for a pawn of the same shape, but of a different color”.
This laboratory is currently the only one to have this technique.
Until now, there were two ways to detect variant.
First by thermo fischer PCR (detection by default, to be confirmed by sequencing).
Second, by sequencing.
A longer and more expensive technique.
Eurofins Biomnis is able to analyze 20,000 PCRs per day, ie the equivalent of the number of positive PCRs in France.
Two sites exist, that of Ivry, representing 70% of the activity.
The Eurofins Biomnis laboratory will be able to have “a vision quite close to reality” concerning the extent of the circulation of the English variant to Covid-19 in France.
“This device decided this weekend by the health authorities is being put in place” assures François Cornu.
“A number of screening diagnoses have already been made” assures the President of Eurofins Biomnis.
