LNS follows virus step by step

The National Health Laboratory has succeeded in determining the geographical distribution of the three strains of the coronavirus currently circulating in Luxembourg. And in most cases the virus has already passed through the UK

Patrick JACQUEMOT

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Since the beginning of October, the teams from the National Health Laboratory in charge of studying Sars-Cov-2 have shifted into high gear in their work. If, since the beginning of February, the microbiology department has sequenced 2,550 covid positive samples, nearly 1,800 have been added to the sequencing pool over the past six weeks. No doubt: the method developed in Dudelange by the LNS is progressing.

A staff member from the Israeli Sheba Medical Center shows a reagent of rapid test for the coronavirus at the Herzliya Hebrew Gymnasium Hight School in the coastal city of Tel Aviv on November 8, 2020, as part of a special program that could enable students to return to school faster than planned. - The program that was launched today, involves as a first step, the screening of students and staff members with a serological test, in search for antibodies.
After that, they will be screened three times per week using a rapid antigen test to determine if they are positive for coronavirus. (Photo by JACK GUEZ / AFP)

Luxembourg has ordered 900,000 antigenic covid screening kits. But the assessments of the National Health Laboratory (LNS) on this type of accessory call for caution on the use of the results.

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The main purpose of all of this work is “to identify the lines of viruses circulating in Luxembourg but also their evolution over time as an indicator of the success of control measures”, indicates Dr Abdelrahman, head of the microbiology department. Just as the analyzes make it possible to detect the appearance of new viral strains from other geographical areas.

Already, the LNS has been able to determine a change in the circulation of variants between the two waves of covid-19 reported in Luxembourg. And Dr. Wienecke-Baldacchino, head of bioinformatics, to specify that three strains are prevalent mainly in the country. Lineages perfectly identified and localizable in the Grand Duchy, but of which exchanges between scientists have made it possible to find traces elsewhere in Europe.

Thus, the most common line (33% of samples) today concerns a set of countries ranging from the United Kingdom, Belgium, France and Germany. Next comes the Dutch line, in 26% of cases. One in five positive cases, on the other hand, comes from a line that appeared at the beginning of last summer, probably originating in Spain.

Undoubtedly by the effect of the mixing of populations during the holidays, this one has spread very widely on the continent and is still raging today in Luxembourg and in neighboring states.

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