LAB-Net: Laboratory Expertise During COVID-19 Pandemic
A steep rise of confirmed cases of the novel Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) in patients across Europe and the world has been observed. It is evident that the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak is an immediate public health threat to Europe. This outbreak also has an impact on COMBACTE's LAB-Net activities. Supported by its state-of-the-art laboratory expertise, LAB-Net has stepped up to support COVID-19 clinical trials by assessing the routine clinical laboratory practices for COVID-19.
Laboratory preparedness in detecting SARS-CoV-2
Following the WHO alert of the COVID-19 outbreak on 30th of January 2020, LAB-Net has sent out a survey on the level of preparedness of diagnostic laboratories for the detection of SARS-CoV-2. A total of 306 questionnaires were sent across Europe to LAB-Net and PREPARE (Platform for European Preparedness Against (Re-)emerging Epidemics) members. To track the European spread of SARS-CoV-2, decentralized testing became necessary and test capacity needed to be expanded outside reference laboratories rapidly. Therefore, LAB-Net assessed via an online questionnaire the preparedness of European hospital laboratories for detection of SARS-CoV-2 and listed the main drawbacks for implementation. 45% of the surveyed labs had a test in place by March 26th which is far into the first wave of the pandemic in most countries. The main implementation barriers were availability of positive controls and a specificity panel.
LAB-Net is actively involved in RECOVER (Rapid European COVID-19 Emergency Research Response). The clinical trials in RECOVER will address key knowledge gaps such as identifying best approaches to prevent further spread of the disease and the interaction pathways of the virus with its human host. LAB-Net is offering laboratory expertise related to strategies for sample collection and management.
About LAB-Net
LAB-Net, the laboratory network within COMBACTE, consists of routine diagnostic laboratories, specialized research laboratories, and a central coordinating laboratory based at the University of Antwerp, Belgium. Its overarching objective is to establish, train, and maintain a high-quality geographically representative European COMBACTE laboratory network to support antibacterial drug development via various clinical trials. LAB-Net is an indispensable part of COMBACTE and fully complementary to the hospital network, CLIN-Net.
A LAB-Net leaflet is available for more information.
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