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. 2020 Feb;25(6):2000082.
doi: 10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2020.25.6.2000082. Epub 2020 Feb 11.

Laboratory readiness and response for novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) in expert laboratories in 30 EU/EEA countries, January 2020

Chantal B E M Reusken  1   2 , Eeva K Broberg  3 , Bart Haagmans  2 , Adam Meijer  1 , Victor M Corman  4   5 , Anna Papa  6 , Remi Charrel  7 , Christian Drosten  4   5 , Marion Koopmans  2 , Katrin Leitmeyer  3 ; EVD-LabNet and ERLI-Net  8
Affiliations

Laboratory readiness and response for novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) in expert laboratories in 30 EU/EEA countries, January 2020

Chantal B E M Reusken et al. Euro Surveill. 2020 Feb.

Abstract

Timely detection of novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) infection cases is crucial to interrupt the spread of this virus. We assessed the required expertise and capacity for molecular detection of 2019-nCoV in specialised laboratories in 30 European Union/European Economic Area (EU/EEA) countries. Thirty-eight laboratories in 24 EU/EEA countries had diagnostic tests available by 29 January 2020. A coverage of all EU/EEA countries was expected by mid-February. Availability of primers/probes, positive controls and personnel were main implementation barriers.

Keywords: 2019-nCoV; coronavirus; emerging infections; laboratory; response; zoonoses.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest: None declared.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Time-line with hallmark events of the first two months of the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) outbreak, December 2019–January 2020
Figure 2
Figure 2
Status of availability of molecular diagnostics for novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) in EU/EEA countries as at 29 January 2020 (n = 46 laboratories)a
Figure 3
Figure 3
Diagnostic capacity of specialised laboratories with molecular tests available or forthcoming for novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV), EU/EEA, January 2020 (n = 46)a
Figure 4
Figure 4
Challenges reported by laboratories in terms of implementing molecular diagnostics for novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV), EU/EEA, January 2020 (n = 47)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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