Laboratories in Germany have reached the limit of coronavirus testing capacity, the Association of Accredited Medical Laboratories announced on Tuesday, based on data from 162 laboratories; it is the first time that all work at 100% capacity, informs dpa.
The association warned that if the epidemic continues to intensify, in case of equipment failures or staff unavailability, there is a risk that testing at the required level can no longer be provided. The association’s leader, Michael Mueller, said the situation was “dangerous and already unacceptable”.
According to the representative organisation of the laboratories, too many tests are performed on the asymptomatic and with a very low priority, although efforts should be focused on more urgent cases.
Last week alone, more than 1.4 million PCR tests were performed, of which 104,663, or 7.3%, were positive, compared to 5.7% in the previous interval. this shows that Germany coronavirus testing capacity is being beaten.
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At the same time, the number of patients treated in intensive care units in Germany has increased sixfold, said DIVI, the medical association in the specialty. Uwe Janssens, president of DIVI, said on Tuesday that hospitals must give up routine activities when there are high levels of coronavirus infection, Reuters reports.
Health Minister Jens Spahn said on the same day that hundreds of thousands of people in Germany who were tested positive or came in contact with carriers of the virus were in quarantine.
In the first conference after he was cured of COVID-19, the official admitted that after the experience he felt that he was small and at the same time grateful that he had no more severe symptoms.