RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Development and operation of the defence COVID-19 lab as a SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic screening capability for UK military personnel
JF BMJ Military Health
JO BMJ Mil Health
FD British Medical Journal Publishing Group
SP e002134
DO 10.1136/military-2022-002134
A1 Simon A Weller
A1 S R Armstrong
A1 S Bailey
A1 H T Burnell
A1 E L Burt
A1 N E Cant
A1 K R Cawthorne
A1 M Chester
A1 J E Choules
A1 N A Coe
A1 L Coward
A1 V L Cox
A1 E R Emery
A1 C P Evans
A1 A Finn
A1 C M Halford
A1 K A Hamblin
A1 G V Harrison
A1 M G Hartley
A1 C Hudson
A1 B James
A1 H E Jones
A1 E Keyser
A1 C L Lonsdale
A1 L E Marshall
A1 C E Maule
A1 J A Miles
A1 S L Newstead
A1 M Nicholls
A1 C Osborne
A1 A S Pearcy
A1 L D Penny
A1 R Perrot
A1 P Rachwal
A1 V Robinson
A1 D Rushton
A1 F M Stahl
A1 S V Staplehurst
A1 H L Stapleton
A1 K Steeds
A1 K Stephenson
A1 I J Thompson
A1 J E Thwaite
A1 D O Ulaeto
A1 N Waters
A1 D J Wills
A1 Z S Wills
A1 C Rees
A1 E J Hutley
YR 2022
UL http://militaryhealth.bmj.com/content/early/2022/07/25/military-2022-002134.abstract
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.