The capacities in German laboratories for PCR tests for the corona virus are running out. “The situation is serious. The laboratories are at the capacity limit and beyond,” said Michael Müller, first chairman of the Accredited Laboratories (ALM). The association represents more than 200 laboratories with more than 26,000 employees, including many medical specialists. Müller pushed for a prioritization, as the National Testing Strategy also foreseen. “I don’t understand why this is not implemented consistently.” In the event that the number of tests continues to increase, antigen tests can also be used in the laboratories, especially in the event of bottlenecks. “However, the prioritization is not carried out by the laboratory, but must be done when the sample is taken,” said Jan Kramer, deputy chairman of the ALM. If the national test strategy is not observed during acceptance, then there is a risk that “the laboratories will fill up.”
The PCR capacities of the laboratories were sufficient for “medical needs”, Müller assured in a virtual press conference. But the capacities cannot be increased at will, so prioritization is necessary. For example, the PCR test should be reserved for particularly vulnerable people, such as the elderly in nursing homes, people who show symptoms, are ill and those who take care of these people. “An antigen test may be sufficient to detect a breakthrough infection,” says Müller. In many cases, people who have been vaccinated against the coronavirus do not become so seriously ill or have no symptoms at all. Several hundred thousand antigen tests per week are possible, says Müller. It is a highly automated process.
According to surveys by the laboratory association, the number of PCR tests has increased significantly in recent weeks with the increasing incidence and the rapid spread of omicron. Almost two million PCR tests were carried out in the week from January 10 to 16, 2022, a good half a million more than in the previous week. 182 laboratories took part in the current survey. According to Müller, the data represent around 90 percent of the testing process in Germany. Almost a quarter of the PCR tests were positive. “Every fourth test shows a positive result,” says Müller. The ALM did not expect such a rapid increase in the number of tests. Weekly capacity utilization rose from 64 to 86 percent compared to the previous week. For the current week, the laboratories have expanded their capacities by eleven percent to a good 2.5 million PCR tests.
Unlike in the first few months of the pandemic, when there was a lack of tests and devices for diagnostics in the laboratories, the bottleneck is currently the employees. The mental stress is enormous, said Jan Kramer. Employees are also absent in the laboratories because they have become infected or have to look after relatives. There are no additional specialists on the market, added ALM board member Evangelos Kotsopoulos. Müller appealed to observe the rules of conduct such as distance, hygiene and masks: “After all, we cannot test ourselves out of the pandemic.”