PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Simon A Weller AU - S R Armstrong AU - S Bailey AU - H T Burnell AU - E L Burt AU - N E Cant AU - K R Cawthorne AU - M Chester AU - J E Choules AU - N A Coe AU - L Coward AU - V L Cox AU - E R Emery AU - C P Evans AU - A Finn AU - C M Halford AU - K A Hamblin AU - G V Harrison AU - M G Hartley AU - C Hudson AU - B James AU - H E Jones AU - E Keyser AU - C L Lonsdale AU - L E Marshall AU - C E Maule AU - J A Miles AU - S L Newstead AU - M Nicholls AU - C Osborne AU - A S Pearcy AU - L D Penny AU - R Perrot AU - P Rachwal AU - V Robinson AU - D Rushton AU - F M Stahl AU - S V Staplehurst AU - H L Stapleton AU - K Steeds AU - K Stephenson AU - I J Thompson AU - J E Thwaite AU - D O Ulaeto AU - N Waters AU - D J Wills AU - Z S Wills AU - C Rees AU - E J Hutley TI - Development and operation of the defence COVID-19 lab as a SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic screening capability for UK military personnel AID - 10.1136/military-2022-002134 DP - 2022 Jul 22 TA - BMJ Military Health PG - e002134 4099 - http://militaryhealth.bmj.com/content/early/2022/07/25/military-2022-002134.short 4100 - http://militaryhealth.bmj.com/content/early/2022/07/25/military-2022-002134.full AB - Background In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) and Defence Pathology combined to form the Defence Clinical Lab (DCL), an accredited (ISO/IEC 17025:2017) high-throughput SARS-CoV-2 PCR screening capability for military personnel.Laboratory structure and resource The DCL was modular in organisation, with laboratory modules and supporting functions combining to provide the accredited SARS-CoV-2 (envelope (E)-gene) PCR assay. The DCL was resourced by Dstl scientists and military clinicians and biomedical scientists.Laboratory results Over 12 months of operation, the DCL was open on 289 days and tested over 72 000 samples. Six hundred military SARS-CoV-2-positive results were reported with a median E-gene quantitation cycle (Cq) value of 30.44. The lowest Cq value for a positive result observed was 11.20. Only 64 samples (0.09%) were voided due to assay inhibition after processing started.Conclusions Through a sustained effort and despite various operational issues, the collaboration between Dstl scientific expertise and Defence Pathology clinical expertise provided the UK military with an accredited high-throughput SARS-CoV-2 PCR test capability at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. The DCL helped facilitate military training and operational deployments contributing to the maintenance of UK military capability. In offering a bespoke capability, including features such as testing samples in unit batches and oversight by military consultant microbiologists, the DCL provided additional benefits to the UK Ministry of Defence that were potentially not available from other SARS-CoV-2 PCR laboratories. The links between Dstl and Defence Pathology have also been strengthened, benefitting future research activities and operational responses.