Development and operation of the defence COVID-19 lab as a SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic screening capability for UK military personnel.
Simon A WellerS R ArmstrongS BaileyH T BurnellE L BurtN E CantK R CawthorneM ChesterJ E ChoulesN A CoeL CowardV L CoxE R EmeryC P EvansA FinnC M HalfordK A HamblinG V HarrisonM G HartleyC HudsonB JamesH E JonesE KeyserC L LonsdaleL E MarshallC E MauleJ A MilesS L NewsteadM NichollsC OsborneA S PearcyL D PennyR PerrotP RachwalV RobinsonD RushtonF M StahlS V StaplehurstH L StapletonK SteedsK StephensonI J ThompsonJ E ThwaiteD O UlaetoN WatersD J WillsZ S WillsC ReesE J HutleyPublished in: BMJ military health (2022)
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.