English, Brazilian, South African, they are all already there! These three variants of Covid-19, which are said to be 50 to 70% more contagious than the historical strain, have all been detected in Lorraine. The Biogroup medical biology laboratory observed this on one of its two technical platforms (4,000 tests analyzed per day), that of Saint-Dié-des Vosges. While that of Metz has, for the time being, only detected the English variant, already announced as the majority in France at the end of March. But the technical platform of the EspaceBio laboratory in Saint-Avold (1,200 to 1,500 tests analyzed per day), claims to have identified more Brazilian or South African variants than English. The Metz-Thionville CHR also said this Thursday, February 4, to have identified 18 cases of patients positive for one of the three variants.
EspaceBio says it is currently running 10% positive tests per day. Where Biogroup is at 7%. “We have known more”, concedes the Dr Francois Joppin. Biogroup’s regional communications director finds it difficult to explain the very poor figures communicated at the start of the week by the Regional Health Agency (ARS) on the Moselle and more particularly in Metz-Métropole. It was about an incidence rate of 397 new cases per 100,000 inhabitants in Metz-Métropole (275 in Moselle) which has since fallen to 374. And a positivity rate of 10 new cases per 100 people tested (8.2 in Moselle).
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Screening equipment
For around ten days, Biogroup has been able to analyze the presence of the three variants. “We have invested in screening equipment that allows us to perform 500 such analyzes per day, which is more than enough for the moment. This requires six additional hours of analysis. At present, the presence of variants concerns 10% of positive tests. This is therefore less than the national average of 14%. The effect may be measured for the moment, the professional calls for caution: “In England, the variant appeared in September and its presence only exploded in December. “
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150 hires
The arrival of these variants does not change the procedure for the patients. “We are just going to add a question in our registration form to find out if the people tested come from abroad”, indicates the Dr Joppin. Provident, Biogroup, which has already hired 150 people in Lorraine to keep up with the frenetic pace dictated by this health crisis, has also invested in a sequencer. It will allow it to detect new variants by sequencing the genome. It will be installed in Metz for the whole of the Grand Est.
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