The number of biosecurity laboratories has gone up and the supporting measures have to keep up

sudden outbreak of new coronary pneumonia exposed China's lack of testing. Recently,
General
held a symposium of experts and scholars, pointed out that to strengthen the construction of laboratory testing network, improve the detection capacity of infectious diseases.
, the National Development and Reform Commission and other three departments announced the "public health prevention and control treatment capacity-building program" (hereinafter referred to as the "Programme"). The Programme proposes five major construction tasks, among which, in the overall improvement of the facilities and equipment conditions of disease control institutions, the realization of each province has at least one biosecurity protection level III laboratory (P3) and each municipality has at least one biosecurity protection level II laboratory (P2). What is the difference between a P3 and a P2 lab? Why is it standard everywhere? What additional initiatives are needed for the lab to play its full role? With these questions, Science and Technology Daily reporter interviewed relevant experts.the P3 and P2 laboratories are often heard by the public in this outbreak, so what is the difference between the two?according to
, in the Pathogen Microbiology Laboratory General Guidelines for Biosecurity (WS233-2017), it is stipulated that laboratories with a level II level of biosecurity protection are suitable for microorganisms that can cause human or animal diseases, but generally do not pose serious hazards to humans, animals or the environment, have limited risk of transmission, rarely cause serious diseases after laboratory infection, and have effective treatment and preventive measures for microorganisms. Laboratories with a level of three levels of biosecurity protection are suitable for the operation of microorganisms that can cause serious diseases in humans or animals and are more likely to spread directly or indirectly between humans, animals, animals and animals.
Asia-Pacific Biosecurity Association President, China Center for Disease Control and Prevention biosecurity chief expert Wu Guizhen in an interview with Science and Technology Daily, said that the P2 laboratory core equipment including biosecurity cabinets and autocultension devices, in the building laboratory does not need to be isolated from the general area, and P3 laboratory is completely sealed, indoor negative pressure state, not only effectively protect the environment and pathogens from pollution, but also to ensure that operators are not infected.
different experimental activities of the same pathogenic microorganism also need to be carried out in biosethic laboratories at the appropriate level. Wu Guizhen said that such operations as the separation, culture, purification of live viruses and their proteins, freeze-dried viruses and recombination experiments of living viruses must be carried out in P3 laboratories. Operations of untrained infectious materials, such as viral antigen testing, serological testing, nucleic acid testing, biotransmical analysis, and inactivation of clinical samples, should be carried out in P2 laboratories, with personal protection in P3 laboratories.SARS epidemic in 2003, only a few laboratories in China were able to basically meet the conditions for SARS virus isolation and cultivation, which seriously restricted the government's ability to guarantee public health security. After more than ten years of development, the current national P3 laboratory has more than 40, distributed in the CDC, research institutes, universities, customs, hospitals and other units, P4 laboratory only two. "Compared to the developed countries in the world, there is a gap in the number of P3 and P4 laboratories in our country." Wu Guizhen said.
Zhao Wei, director of the third-level biosecurity laboratory of Southern Medical University, pointed out that in this outbreak of neo-crown pneumonia, due to the need for P2 laboratory for nucleic acid and serological testing of clinical samples, the isolation and culture of new coronavirus requires P3 laboratory, and also exposed the shortage of P2 and P3 laboratories in China. "A certain number of P2 and P3 laboratories are a prerequisite for prevention and control." Zhao Wei stressed.
In response to this situation, the Programme proposes to comprehensively improve the facilities and equipment conditions of disease control agencies, to achieve at least one P3-level laboratory in each province, and at least one P2-level laboratory in each municipality, so that the necessary testing and testing capacity for the implementation of national health standards can be basically met.view of Wu Guizhen, the construction of P3 laboratory, etc., is not only the need of public health construction, but also the need of high-level university research institutions. To strengthen the construction of P3 laboratories, we should also take into account the distribution of different institutions in the country (CDC, research institutes, universities, customs, hospitals), consider the degree of economic activity in various places, as well as the incidence of infectious diseases. "The investment in building the P3 laboratory is very large, and if it is not fully utilized, it will result in a serious waste of resources. While increasing the construction layout, we should also establish a mechanism for sharing P3 laboratory resources to avoid duplication of construction. Wu Guizhen stressed.
Wu Guizhen introduced, they in the Heilongjiang Yufen River, Hulan, through hand-in-hand training, the establishment of workstations, the construction of laboratories, for the local left a professional team can not leave. At present, the local laboratory of The Fen River has been able to independently carry out testing work, the daily detection volume of nearly a thousand copies. "In our country, not only the municipal level to establish P2 laboratory, some county-level cities, necessary and capable places should also be built, because P2 laboratory covers a wide range of experiments, a large number of operations need to be carried out in P2 laboratory." Wu Guizhen said.
Zhao Wei also said that in economically developed areas, the number of biosecurity laboratories is larger, more standardized management. "Each province has at least one P3 laboratory, each city has at least one P2 laboratory" requirements are not high, especially P2 laboratory, set up inspection department of the hospital should actually have, belong to the regular configuration. Although the P3 laboratory is not strong for more and better, but the current layout at the national level there is an imbalance, need to be fully considered.
the public might ask, why doesn't the state require the construction of P4 labs? In this regard, Wu Guizhen explained that the P4 laboratory is known as the "aircraft carrier" in the field of virology research, is dedicated to the research and use of infectious diseases large-scale devices. As far as the actual situation of disease prevention and control in China is concerned, the construction of P3 and P2 laboratories at the provincial and municipal levels can meet the needs of the current biosecurity laboratory construction in China.
"P4 laboratory is relatively applicable to a very small variety of microorganisms, demand is also very small, and the construction costs are huge, the daily operating costs are very high, so should be laid out at the national level. Zhao Wei said.built, how to run safely and efficiently, what supporting measures are needed, which is also an urgent problem to be solved.
, we should strengthen the construction of laboratory talents. Wu Guizhen said that since the outbreak of new crown pneumonia, the
General
attaches great importance to it, stressing that "major infectious diseases and biosecurity risks are major risks and challenges to national security and development, as well as to the overall stability of society." Therefore, under the new situation, the position of biosecurity laboratory is more important, and the construction and management of laboratory can not be separated from the construction and participation of talents, without high-quality personnel, there can be no high-level biosecurity laboratory.
, we should improve the legal system, strengthen safety management, and firmly establish the bottom line red line awareness. Health administrative departments and laboratories at all levels should implement the first responsibilities, such as subject responsibility, leadership responsibility, supervision responsibility, and so on, and truly put laboratory biosecurity work into the focus of work, with other business work with the deployment, promotion, assessment, to ensure that laboratory norms, safety and effective operation. Laboratory establishment units and their competent departments should establish a "safety without small matters, prevention is greater than the day" risk awareness, regularly organize inspection, eliminate laboratory biosecurity hazards, improve the safety management system, strengthen training and assessment and safety education, to ensure that laboratory personnel strictly implement the relevant national regulations on laboratory biosecurity.
in Zhao Wei's view, P2, P3 laboratory day-to-day operation will produce some consumption. In particular, P3 laboratory, the state in the management is very strict, high operating costs, daily needs more manpower, material resources, the government should give some financial support and tilt, in order to maintain a better normal operation of the laboratory.