Hospital Clinico U. de Chile reports “break of national stock” of reagent for PCR and clinics suspend examination for “technical capacity problems”

The Clinical Hospital of the University of Chile had to suspend the taking of samples for the PCR examination that is used to confirm the diagnosis of Covid-19 coronavirus.

The venue explained that this temporary measure is due to a “break in national stock” of a laboratory reagent that is used in the examination.

According to the institution, this occurred “due to the high demand for care registered in recent days.”

PCR (polymerase chain reaction) is a molecular technique used to detect a specific genetic material. In this case, it allows the presence or absence of the genetic material of the virus to be detected in patient samples. This examination can be performed by different laboratories that have the equipment and reagents necessary to detect this genetic material. In Chile it is carried out by the Institute of Public Health (ISP) and some authorized clinics and laboratories.

In the Santa María Clinic, Dávila Clinic and Vespucio Clinic, meanwhile, it was reported that “ambulatory PCR is suspended due to technical capacity problems.”

Integramédica informed its users that “Covid-19 PCR sampling will not be carried out until further notice.”

VidaIntegra noted that “in our Covid-19 care centers, only queries for respiratory pathologies will be attended to and resolved.”

On the other hand, the Red Salud clinics in Santiago, Providencia and Vitacura do not have stock. On their website they explained that “in the context of the global pandemic and its spread in the country, access to the examination by the ISP has been limited for private centers in the Metropolitan Region and there is reduced response capacity by private laboratories “Therefore, we currently have limited stock of the Covid-19 PCR test in our clinics and medical centers.”

Meanwhile, the UC Christus Health Network explained that “due to the lack of supplies to process the Covid-19 detection PCR tests – those that are scarce worldwide – we are having a delay in delivering results.”