While Edouard Philippe wanted at least 700,000 coronavirus screening tests to be carried out per week after May 11, only 216,891 RT-PCR tests were carried out between May 18 and May 24, reveals Public Health France. In question, an erroneous original epidemiological model, an incomplete data recovery system and a lack of equipment.
- “At least 700,000 virological tests per week” will be carried out after May 11, the government had promised.
- According to Public Health France, only 216,891 RT-PCR tests were carried out between May 18 and May 24.
- In question, an erroneous epidemiological model, an incomplete data recovery system and a lack of equipment.
From the deconfinement, “at least 700,000 virological tests per week” will be carried out, promised the Prime Minister, Edouard Philippe, to the National Assembly on April 28. A month and a half later the figures announced by Public Health France are far from it. Indeed, from May 18 to 24, only 216,891 RT-PCR tests, detecting the presence of the virus in the body, were carried out, reveals the organization’s latest bulletin, published on May 29.
When Edouard Philippe mentioned the 700,000 tests, he was relying on an epidemiological model of the scientific council of April 20 which predicted between 1,000 and 3,000 new cases of Covid-19 per day after deconfinement. However, between May 18 and May 24, Public Health France only listed 4,119 cases, therefore fewer than the government had expected, explains France info in an article published on 1er June. Fewer people showing symptoms than anticipated, so it makes sense to run fewer tests.
What’s more, the data recovery system put in place is incomplete, reports Franceinfo. Indeed, until recently Public Health France only listed the tests in the medical biology laboratory carried out by Cerba, Eurofins-Biomnis and Inovie. Recently, however, the organization developed a new screening information system: the SI-DEP. As of May 27, almost all laboratories in France had transmitted their results, i.e. more than 4,700 sampling sites. “Controls are carried out in order to improve the quality and completeness of this data and new laboratories continue to be integrated into the system”details Public Health France today in its bulletin.
A lack of means
In detail, 210,000 RT-PCR tests were carried out in one week. However, serological tests are not counted by this data system, even if it will not be long. Finally, there is the question of the lack of equipment. May 14, the Special Envoy program revealed that the reagents, essential for extracting pathogenic RNA or DNA from the virus during RT-PCR tests, were not manufactured on a sufficient scale in France. If producers exist abroad, they reserve their products for their domestic market.
For the president of the National Union of Hospital Biologists (SNBH), Xavier Palette, “it’s impossible to get to 700,000 tests in a week”. “Overcoats, sampling kits, personnel are missing…”, he explained to Franceinfo on May 11.
From May 18-24, the national weekly positivity rate was 1.9%. In metropolitan France, the positivity rate was less than 5% in all departments. The highest incidence rates were observed in Vienne (24.7/100,000 inhabitants), Côtes d’Armor (21.0/100,000 inhabitants) and Meuse (22.6/100,000 inhabitants). . Epidemic foci are being investigated in these departments. Overseas, the positivity rate was established at 14%. However, the data from Mayotte is not yet interpretable”due to still too partial data transmission”specifies Public Health France.
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