Lauterbach plan to prevent shortage of PCR - Omikron pushes laboratories to their limits
Created: 01/19/2022 21:17
By: Kai Hartwig
Health Minister Lauterbach plans to prioritize PCR tests.
© Kay Nietfeld/dpa
The PCR test is an important factor in the fight against the omicron wave.
And threatens to become scarce soon.
Health Minister Lauterbach reacts.
Berlin – On Wednesday (January 19) Germany cracked an eerie mark.
For the first time, more than 100,000 new infections with the corona virus were reported to the Robert Koch Institute within 24 hours.
The Omicron wave has long since had the Federal Republic under control.
In order to prevent the virus from spreading further rapidly, the federal and state governments are relying on booster vaccinations in the fight against the pandemic - and also on nationwide testing.
But the laboratories and health authorities are currently reaching their capacity limits.
PCR tests could soon be a rare commodity.
That's why Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach wants to pull the emergency brake.
And set priorities when assigning PCR tests.
PCR tests against Corona: Health Minister Lauterbach wants priority for doctors and nurses
According to a report by
Bild
, the Ministry of Health says that employees in hospitals and nursing homes should be given priority testing. One must ensure "in medical laboratories to maintain a functioning health and care system, a priority diagnosis of sample material from employees who come into contact with particularly vulnerable groups of people", is quoted from the draft.
The Ministry would thus meet the wishes of many laboratory physicians.
The Professional Association of Accredited Laboratories in Medicine (ALM) sounded the alarm on Tuesday (January 18).
In a press release, the association stated that the utilization of the test capacity of the laboratories nationwide was an average of 86 percent.
And called for preference for doctors and nurses during the testing itself.
Omicron wave: laboratory doctors want to prioritize themselves even when testing for corona
"In order to avoid overload, we appeal to the necessary consistent prioritization of SARS-CoV-2 diagnostics already during test acceptance according to the specifications of the national test strategy," said ALM Chairman Dr.
Michael Mueller.
According to the association, it has so far been possible to cope with the increased volume of test evaluations.
However, the laboratory capacities cannot be expanded at will.
At some point the limit was reached, the association said.
(kh)