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

• Published in: Euro surveillance : bulletin européen sur les maladies transmissibles Vol. 25; no. 6; p. 1
• Main Authors: Reusken, Chantal B E M, Broberg, Eeva K, Haagmans, Bart, Meijer, Adam, Corman, Victor M, Papa, Anna, Charrel, Remi, Drosten, Christian, Koopmans, Marion, Leitmeyer, Katrin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Sweden Centre Europeen pour la Surveillance Epidemiologique du SIDA (European Centre for the Epidemiological Monitoring of AIDS) 13.02.2020; European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control; European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC)
• Subjects: Betacoronavirus; Biochemistry, Molecular Biology; Clinical Laboratory Techniques - methods; Clinical Laboratory Techniques - standards; Coronavirus - classification; Coronavirus - genetics; Coronavirus - isolation & purification; Coronavirus Infections - diagnosis; Coronavirus Infections - genetics; Coronavirus Infections - virology; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; Disease control; Disease Outbreaks; Emerging diseases; European Union; Human health and pathology; Humans; Infections; Laboratories; Laboratories - standards; Life Sciences; Microbiology and Parasitology; Molecular biology; Pneumonia, Viral - genetics; Rapid Communication; Reference Standards; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction - methods; RNA, Viral - genetics; SARS-CoV-2; Sensitivity and Specificity; Sentinel Surveillance; Sequence Analysis; Virology; coronavirus; zoonoses; emerging infections; 2019-nCoV; laboratory; response
• ISSN: 1560-7917; 1025-496X; 1560-7917; 1025-496X
• DOI: 10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2020.25.6.2000082

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.