Most of the processing has been carried out in the laboratories of the veterinary multinational HIPRA of Amer, which has collaborated selflessly with Health at all times
The Girona Health Region has already processed more than 32,000 PCR tests in the territory to determine the presence of SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, 82% of which have been negative, 16% positive, in 1% of cases not conclusive results have been provided and the test has been repeated, and 1% is in process. The vast majority of these samples have been analyzed in the facilities that the veterinary pharmaceutical multinational HIPRA, based in Amer, has donated to the Catalan Institute of Health. At this time, the volume of samples to be analyzed has dropped significantly (about 400-450 are made daily), so that today most samples are processed in the ICS Laboratory in Girona, about 250 are still made to HIPRA and a part is also sent for analysis to the Blood and Tissue Bank. It should be noted, however, that peaks of 1 had been reached.
39% of PCR requests have been requested by the University Hospital of Girona Dr. Josep Trueta (more than 7,000) and the Hospital de Santa Caterina de Salt (almost 5,500). 30% of the requests were made by the other regional hospitals in the Region (Palamós, about 4,500; Figueres, about 2,900; Olot, about 1,400; Campdevànol, about 670, and Blanes, which mostly sends PCRs to Barcelona, 38). Another important volume, 25%, with more than 8,100 applications, comes from primary care centers in the Girona Region, which have also processed the PCRs of residential centers. The rest of the requests were made by the Catalan Institute of Oncology, the private clinics –especially Clínica Girona and Clínica Bofill― and Mutuam, among others.
During all these months, HIPRA's collaboration has been vital for the processing of samples in the Girona Region, as it has made it possible to multiply the capacity of the ICS Girona Territorial Clinical Laboratory. For the past three weeks, the volume of samples has been declining, which has made it possible to reduce HIPRA's contribution. The professionals of the Biomedical Research Institute of Girona Dr. Josep Trueta (IDIBGI) and the ICS, who had moved to HIPRA to carry out the analyzes, were able to return to their laboratories and the samples that are still being processed are made entirely by HIPRA professionals.
For its part, the ICS Girona Territorial Clinical Laboratory is preparing to be able to take on around 1,500 daily samples. In this sense, it already has a new robot for processing and detecting samples, a second will arrive this June, and a third during the summer. In addition, reagents are being procured in order to have enough in the event of a new resurgence of the pandemic. If, given the case, more than 1,500 daily PCRs were to be analyzed, a new collaboration with HIPRA and IDIBGI would be used, which have always shown their predisposition.
Transfer of equipment and professionals
To carry out the processing of samples part of the activity was transferred to the laboratories of HIPRA, with about 700 m 2equipped with the latest technology in PCR diagnosis and the equipment of the IDIBGI, which also assigned volunteer professionals to process the samples together with a specialist in molecular biology from the Catalan Institute of Health and the support of four HIPRA technicians, specialized in this type of management. HIPRA was also in charge of the logistical support for the transport of the samples and, for this reason, established a service that collected the samples three times a day at the ICS Girona Territorial Clinical Laboratory, located in the Martí i Julià de Salt Hospital Park, and carried them. and HIPRA. IDIBGI professionals also collaborated in the process of inactivating the samples, which takes place in the Salt Laboratory.
Sample processing
The processing of PCRs to determine the presence of coronavirus involves performing four phases: sample inactivation, extraction, amplification, and detection.
When the samples arrive with suspected coronavirus, the virus is inactivated, that is, the virus is not infected. Once this first process has been done, the next step is to extract the genetic material: the virus contains a molecule called RNA, which must be extracted to be able to analyze it. The third phase is the amplification of the extracted RNA, ie the RNA is placed in an analyzer that, through a series of consecutive and cyclic chain reactions, allows to obtain an increasing number of copies. of the RNA molecule extracted from the virus and it is achieved that, after an hour and a half, a sufficient number of RNA copies of the virus are obtained from these cyclic processes to be able to reliably detect the genes. which make it up and whether it is a SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus (4th phase of the process).
HIPRA develops and markets animal vaccines, while providing services for the prevention and control of various animal diseases on livestock farms. For the diagnosis of these diseases, it has the latest technology in PCR analysis. Samples are treated in accordance with international protocols and the strictest biosecurity and biocontainment safety measures.
The Catalan Institute of Health in Girona would like to thank the disinterested predisposition and technological support it has received at all times from HIPRA, which, in addition to ceding its spaces and equipment, has made part of its technical staff available to dealing with the pandemic.