TY - JOUR T1 - Reliable and Scalable SARS-CoV-2 qPCR Testing at a High Sample Throughput: Lessons Learned from the Belgian Initiative. JF - Life (Basel) Y1 - 2022 A1 - Steven Van Vooren A1 - James Grayson A1 - Van Ranst, Marc A1 - Elisabeth Dequeker A1 - Lies Laenen A1 - Reile Janssen A1 - Gillet, Laurent A1 - Bureau, Fabrice A1 - Wouter Coppieters A1 - Nathalie Devos A1 - Benjamin Hengchen A1 - P Wattiau A1 - Sibylle Méhauden A1 - Yvan Verlinden A1 - Kurt Van Baelen A1 - Theresa Pattery A1 - Jean-Pierre Valentin A1 - Kris Janssen A1 - Martine Geraerts A1 - John Smeraglia A1 - Jan Hellemans A1 - Pieter Wytynck A1 - Pieter Mestdagh A1 - Nienke Besbrugge A1 - René Höfer A1 - Friedel Nollet A1 - Vandesompele, Jo A1 - Pieter De Smet A1 - John Lebon A1 - Emmanuel Vandewynckele A1 - Steven Verstrepen A1 - Wouter Uten A1 - Arnaud Capron A1 - Hugues Malonne A1 - J Poels A1 - Emmanuel André AB -

We present our approach to rapidly establishing a standardized, multi-site, nation-wide COVID-19 screening program in Belgium. Under auspices of a federal government Task Force responsible for upscaling the country's testing capacity, we were able to set up a national testing initiative with readily available resources, putting in place a robust, validated, high-throughput, and decentralized qPCR molecular testing platform with embedded proficiency testing. We demonstrate how during an acute scarcity of equipment, kits, reagents, personnel, protective equipment, and sterile plastic supplies, we introduced an approach to rapidly build a reliable, validated, high-volume, high-confidence workflow based on heterogeneous instrumentation and diverse assays, assay components, and protocols. The workflow was set up with continuous quality control monitoring, tied together through a clinical-grade information management platform for automated data analysis, real-time result reporting across different participating sites, qc monitoring, and making result data available to the requesting physician and the patient. In this overview, we address challenges in optimizing high-throughput cross-laboratory workflows with minimal manual intervention through software, instrument and assay validation and standardization, and a process for harmonized result reporting and nation-level infection statistics monitoring across the disparate testing methodologies and workflows, necessitated by a rapid scale-up as a response to the pandemic.

VL - 12 CP - 2 M3 - 10.3390/life12020159 ER -