The omicron variant is increasingly found in the positive samples at Oslo University Hospital (OUS). At the same time, the laboratory warns that the response time may soon be a bang.
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Oslo University Hospital received more than 10,000 PCR tests on Friday. Of these, just over 1,100 are probably positive – which corresponds to a new daily record for the laboratory.
All positive samples are again checked for virus variants.
– The share of omikron is 20 percent now, says Lise Lima Andresen.
She is a specialist bioengineer at the “pandemic lab” at Oslo University Hospital
Most of the samples OUS analyzes are from Oslo, but the laboratory receives samples from all over Sørlandet. Tests from Kristiansand, Skien, Larvik, Sandefjord and Tønsberg, among others, end up at OUS. In addition, the laboratory also relieves Ahus with samples from Groruddalen.
– The majority of the omicron cases are from Oslo, but it spreads relatively quickly. We find omikron at all places that submit samples. It evens out quickly and we do not see very big differences anymore, she says.
National Institute of Public Health (NIPH) have previously estimated that the omicron variant could become the dominant variant by the end of January.
This is how the proportion of omikron has developed in the positive samples OUS analyzes:
OUS has a mission to be able to analyze 10,000 samples a day. It includes the positive samples that must be analyzed for virus variants.
– The response time is coming soon. We work as hard as we can, but still fail to keep up to date, says Andresen.
All PCR tests that come into the laboratory must first be analyzed to see if they are positive or negative. Then all positive samples must be analyzed again to see if it is delta or omicron.
– The response time is on average much longer. That is what is demanding now, says Andresen.
– There are many tests now. We are up to 10,000 a day every moment. We do not have more hours a day, says Andresen.
She says that much of the work is done manually.
– Every single cork must be unscrewed and all the brushes must be picked out with tweezers. A test takes about 5 hours to analyze a sample, she says.
In recent days, however, it has taken up to 16 hours to analyze the samples.
She talks about a lot of overtime for the employees and long shifts of 12-15 hours. Nevertheless, several have signed up to work extra to maintain capacity at Christmas.
–Evaluates each analysis
– What is very different for us is the high proportion of positive samples. It is now 16–17 per cent, compared with 2–3 per cent before. There is a lot of work with the positive tests, says Lisa Lima Andresen.
She is a specialist bioengineer at the “pandemic lab” at Oslo University Hospital.
All PCR tests that come into the laboratory must first be analyzed to see if they are positive or negative. Then all positive samples must be analyzed again to see if it is delta or omicron.
– There are about 1000 positives a day that we have to take another round on. We have a little more to go on, but not so much, says Andresen.
In the image gallery you can see how the bioengineers see the difference between delta and omicron (the first image is the delta variant, while the second is the omicron variant):
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THE HUNT FOR OMIKRON: When the positive samples are analyzed, the bioengineers look at the curves of a specific part of the virus. If it has curves like this, it is delta variant. 1 of 2Photo: OUS
–– We sit and look at all the curves. Then we look at 96 samples at a time and evaluate each one, says Andresen.
With up to 1000 positive samples a day, quite a lot of resources go into analyzes.
– In the beginning when there were different quarantine rules for omikron and delta, it was a bit strenuous. We received a number of telephone calls if it was one or the other variant, says Andresen.
– It was really completely hopeless.
She emphasizes that publishing test results is quite demanding.
– There is no national system for it. In Oslo, a fantastic system has been created, here we only send out electronically. But to, for example, Skien, Porsgrunn, Larvik, Bamble, Tønsberg, we have to send emails with priority files or call, says Andresen.
It is also the bioengineers who inform the municipalities about test results.
– It requires extremely much resources. They sit and call and list different names with the test result, she says.
Andresen calls for a national system to provide the analytical results to the municipalities.
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