Lille, April 14, 2011. Researcher Philippe Froguel, director of the European Institute of Diabetes Genomics.

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M.LIBERT / 20 MINUTES

  • The Lille laboratory of researcher Philippe Froguel uses a method of rapid sequencing of Covid variants.

  • The results arrive in three days and make it possible to clearly identify the presence of the variants in the Lille metropolis.

  • And the first figures are not necessarily reassuring.

It's a sequencing kit that could speed things up in the hunt for variants.

Arrived ten days ago in the laboratory of Lille researcher Philippe Froguel, it allows in three days to very precisely detect the presence of variants in Covid tests.

While PCR tests can now quickly determine the presence or absence of variants, they are not as precise.

“This is the first time in France that we can know almost in real time the presence of variants.

For example, Inserm's Flash surveys take three weeks to produce sequencing results.

As for PCR tests, I don't have much confidence in them.

The PCR test looks at one of the characteristics of the English, South African and Brazilian variants.

However, the variant has a dozen.

With our sequencing, we take into account all the characteristics.

It is extremely reliable ”, assures Philippe Froguel.

A study carried out on 62 samples

The first study carried out last week on 62 samples from Synlab laboratories in the Lille metropolitan area made it possible to determine a precise percentage.

We thus find 24% English variant and 6% South African variant.

As for the Brazilian variant, it did not appear in the analyzes.

These figures are up from last month.

“Three weeks ago, there were 6% English variant and 0% South African in the metropolis,” recalls the Lille researcher.

However, if they are increasing, hospitals in the Lille metropolitan area are still far from being saturated.

Blame it on a statistical bias according to Philippe Froguel.

"There is cause for concern because these variants are more contagious but also more deadly"

“Last week, PCR tests carried out in the Lille metropolitan area revealed 30 to 35% of the variant.

Except that the reality is a little weaker.

It may sound anecdotal, but in fact it explains why hospitals are not yet under strain.

In fact, PCR tests are a little more worrying than reality, but they are ahead of the rates that we will have in ten, fifteen days.

Especially since people who are currently arriving in hospitals were infected two weeks earlier and not now where the presence of variants is more and more strong over the weeks.

There is therefore cause for concern because these variants are more contagious, but also more deadly ”.

The researcher estimates that between the end of February and mid-March, there is a real risk of saturation of hospitals in the Lille metropolis.

If he does not necessarily campaign for strict confinement, he regrets the slowness of the vaccination, which does not make things easier.

This week, his laboratory will ramp up and sequence 400 samples.

The opportunity to see precisely if the variants will continue to increase and if others will appear.

What to improve the fight against a virus always so unpredictable.

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