Highlights from SYNLAB Germany | SYNLAB supports the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia with regular lollipop-PCR-tests for pupils at elementary and specialist schools

DGAP-News: SYNLAB AG / Key word(s): Product Launch/Alliance
07.05.2021 / 12:00
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

SYNLAB Holding Germany GmbH
Gubener Straße 39
86156 Augsburg
Press release

Highlights from SYNLAB Germany | SYNLAB supports the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia with regular lollipop-PCR-tests for pupils at elementary and specialist schools

• For the state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), SYNLAB will regularly test pupils for SARS-CoV-2 using PCR-based lollipop tests
• Simple and time-saving sampling in schools under the supervision of teachers enable safe schooling during pandemic
• PCR-pooling-method ensures efficiency and high accuracy

SYNLAB, the largest European clinical laboratory and medical diagnostic services provider, together with other laboratories from NRW, will regularly provide screenings for pupils in North Rhine-Westphalia with the so-called lollipop-PCR-tests. Starting 10 May 2021, pupils at elementary and specialist schools will have the opportunity to do such a test twice a week. For this purpose, the individual samples will be analysed through the PCR-pooling-method. This set-up was agreed upon in a joint decision by the laboratories and the State Ministry for School and Education of North Rhine-Westphalia.

Due to the simple sample collection and the efficient and very accurate PCR-pooling-method, the lollipop-PCR-test is particularly well suited for use in schools. For sampling, pupils suck on a cotton swab for about 30 seconds. Then, up to 15 swabs are collected in a so-called pool tube. If there are more than 15 pupils in one class, additional swabs are collected in another pool tube. Thereafter, a logistics service picks up the samples directly at the schools and brings them straight to the laboratories for examination. Results are available the next morning.

The SYNLAB Access App provides school administrators, teachers and parents who are served by SYNLAB with a step-by-step guideline for the sampling procedure. If a pool tests positive, SYNLAB immediately informs the school's testing officer, who in turn informs affected pupils, parents, and responsible teachers. In such a case, all pupils who were part of the positive pool use a second, previously distributed cotton swab to take a sample at home for a so-called retest. This retest is a highly sensitive PCR-test as well and makes it possible to identify which individual samples are positive and which are negative.

Dr Martin Roskos, Chief Medical Officer of SYNLAB Germany, emphasises the added value of the new test method compared to conventional sampling methods: "Compared to nasopharyngeal swabs or the gargle test, sampling with lollipop-PCR-tests is very easy, even for small children. In addition, this sampling-procedure can be supervised by teachers in schools to save time for actual school lessons. Overall, with the lollipop-PCR-test we offer a solution that is specifically tailored to the young and very young generation."

Likewise, Dr Hassan Jomaa, medical director of the SYNLAB laboratory in Leverkusen, is convinced by the lollipop-PCR-tests and emphasises the state's pioneering role: "Introducing lollipop-PCR-testing in collaboration with the State Ministry for School and Education, we are establishing an effective testing concept for schools throughout NRW. The lollipop-PCR-test makes simple, regular, and accurate testing in schools possible. We are very pleased that our work in SYNLAB's Leverkusen laboratory will help protecting pupils and providing relieve for teachers and parents, all while strengthening safe schooling during the pandemic."

With a sensitivity of more than 90 per cent, the PCR-pooling-method used for lollipop-PCR-testing offers a significantly higher accuracy than rapid antigen tests. In fact, SYNLAB studies have shown that about 40 percent of asymptomatic people tested positive on SARS-CoV-2 are not detected by rapid antigen tests.
 

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About the SYNLAB Group

• SYNLAB Group is the largest European clinical laboratory and medical diagnostic services provider by revenue and number of tests. SYNLAB offers a full range of innovative and reliable medical diagnostics for patients, practising doctors, clinics and the pharmaceutical industry.
• Providing the leading level of service within the industry, SYNLAB is the partner of choice for diagnostics in human and veterinary medicine. The Group continuously innovates medical diagnostic services for the benefit of patients and customers.
• SYNLAB operates in 36 countries across four continents and holds leading positions in most markets. More than 20,000 employees (FTE), including over 1,200 medical experts, as well as a large number of other specialists such as biologists, chemists and laboratory technicians, contribute every day to the Group's worldwide success. SYNLAB carries out approximately 500 million laboratory tests per year and achieved Group revenues of EUR 2.6 billion in 2020.
• More information can be found on www.synlab.com

07.05.2021 Dissemination of a Corporate News, transmitted by DGAP - a service of EQS Group AG.
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