"This is madness !" : chain screening for coronavirus is exhausting biologists

REPORTAGE

The government's goal was to perform one million weekly PCR tests in early September to fight the coronavirus epidemic.

The objective seems to be achieved, but to the detriment of medical biologists who have seen their laboratories crowded for several weeks.

With the start of the school year, more and more people want to be screened and the chain tests cause the exhaustion of professionals, sometimes on the verge of rupture.

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"From the moment we open the laboratory until it closes in the evening, there will be people without stopping"

In Lyon for example, at least ten people wait all day in front of the Unilians laboratory in the Croix-Rousse district.

People who suffer from the symptoms of coronavirus, like Baptiste, people who want to be reassured.

"I tested negative last week, but I went on vacation and in the house where I was, seven of my eight friends tested positive and I am the only negative", explains the young man at the microphone from Europe 1. 

In three weeks, the laboratory's activity has doubled, explains Michel Fernandez, its manager.

"This is madness !"

he blurted out.

"From the moment we open the laboratory until it closes in the evening, there will be people without stopping," explains Michel Fernandez, who says that before the crisis, 80 cases were processed per day.

"There, we are doing 160. For a few days, we have taken more than we can test," he says.

This situation causes significant delays: "Right now my agenda is full until the end of next week."

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Thirty to forty samples taken per day: "It's a marathon!"

To meet the demand in this laboratory, the six personnel authorized to perform PCR tests work eleven-hour days ... and that is not even enough.

We had to call on three medical students, like Arnaud in sixth year.

"I come mainly as a backup for the Covid sample," he explains to the microphone of Europe 1. In a day, he can do between thirty and forty.

"It's intense, for sure. It's a marathon!"

he blurted out. 

This mobilization of all will have to be maintained over time.

With the current explosion of cases, "it will be necessary to remember it", already warn the unions of private biologists to the attention of the government.