Mobile SARS‑CoV‑2 screening facilities for rapid deployment and university‐based diagnostic laboratory

authored by

Nils Stanislawski, Ferdinand Lange, Christian Fahnemann, Christoph Riggers, Marc‐Nils Wahalla, Marc Porr, Fabian Cholewa, Rebecca Jonczyk, Stefanie Thoms, Martin Witt, Frank Stahl, Sascha Beutel, Andreas Winkel, Philipp‐Cornelius Pott, Meike Stiesch, Mira Paulsen, Anette Melk, Henning Lucas, Stefanie Heiden, Holger Blume, Cornelia Blume

Abstract

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has created a public crisis. Many medical and public institutions and businesses went into isolation in response to the pandemic. Because SARS-CoV-2 can spread irrespective of a patient's course of disease, these institutions’ continued operation or reopening based on the assessment and control of virus spread can be supported by targeted population screening. For this purpose, virus testing in the form of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis and antibody detection in blood can be central. Mobile SARS-CoV-2 screening facilities with a built-in biosafety level (BSL)-2 laboratory were set up to allow the testing offer to be brought close to the subject group's workplace. University staff members, their expertise, and already available equipment were used to implement and operate the screening facilities and a certified diagnostic laboratory. This operation also included specimen collection, transport, PCR and antibody analysis, and informing subjects as well as public health departments. Screening facilities were established at different locations such as educational institutions, nursing homes, and companies providing critical supply chains for health care. Less than 4 weeks after the first imposed lockdown in Germany, a first mobile testing station was established featuring a build-in laboratory with two similar stations commencing operation until June 2020. During the 15-month project period, approximately 33,000 PCR tests and close to 7000 antibody detection tests were collected and analyzed. The presented approach describes the required procedures that enabled the screening facilities and laboratories to collect and process several hundred specimens each day under difficult conditions. This report can assist others in establishing similar setups for pandemic scenarios.

Organisation(s)

Architectures and Systems Section
Institute of Technical Chemistry
Institute of Innovation Research, Technology Management & Entrepreneurship

External Organisation(s)

NIFE - Lower Saxony Centre for Biomedical Engineering, Implant Research and Development
Hannover Medical School (MHH)

Type

Article

Journal

Engineering in life sciences

Volume

23

ISSN

1618-0240

Publication date

02.02.2023

Publication status

Published

Peer reviewed

Yes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Bioengineering, Biotechnology, Environmental Engineering

Sustainable Development Goals

SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being

Electronic version(s)

https://doi.org/10.1002/elsc.202200026 (Access: Open)