The number of corona cases in Germany has reached new record highs. The laboratories also notice this. The workload increases for PCR tests.
Düsseldorf – According to an industry association, the medical laboratories in Germany are increasingly approaching the limits of their capacity utilization during the Corona crisis.
“The high numbers of infections go hand in hand with many tests. Because there is currently hardly any priority for PCR tests, laboratories in Germany are increasingly reaching their capacity limits, ”said the chairman of the Association of Accredited Laboratories in Medicine, Michael Müller, of the“ Rheinische Post ”(Thursday). That is critical for the sick and hospitals.
“It is therefore imperative that medical practices and test centers in particular are encouraged to align themselves with the national test strategy,” demanded Müller. If capacities are tight, PCR tests would have to be carried out in accordance with the recommendations there. “The fact that you can soon be freed from quarantine will inevitably lead to additional work for the laboratories.” The federal government and states have not given any forecasts “how many more tests we will have to be prepared for”. “The laboratories will now have to face the onslaught largely unprepared.”
On Tuesday, the association had put the test capacity utilization at 64 percent. On the discussion about capacity bottlenecks, Müller said in a press release: “The workload in the laboratories is considerable, but I see no reason for too much concern.” Rather, with increasing test activity and limited test capacities, it is more important to actually implement the test strategy.
The head of the German government’s Corona crisis team, Major General Carsten Breuer, told the “Süddeutsche Zeitung” (Thursday): “As with all scarce resources, we will certainly have to bundle capacities where necessary. That also applies to tests. ”As soon as things get tight somewhere, priority must be given. “Employees in the critical infrastructure have priority,” he said. The goal, however, is to maintain the previous test regime for as long as possible. “We need the most accurate data possible to see how the wave affects us,” said Breuer. dpa
