The director of the National Health Laboratory (LNS) on Tuesday expressed his belief that Luxembourg has coped well with the pandemic.
Prof Dr Friedrich Mühlschlegel mde the comments in an interview with RTL Radio on Tuesday morning.
Mühlschlegel became LNS director five years ago, a period which he likes to separate into three pre-pandemic years and two under Covid-19.
Since the beginning of the outbreak, the LNS has managed to set a national benchmark in terms of testing procedures. But even outside of pandemic-related matters, laboratory has developed considerably, explained Prof Dr Mühlschlegel: "While in 2016, 48% of pathological analyses in relation to cancer patients had to be sent abroad, that rate dropped to zero within a year."
The LNS director also provided insight into recruitment strategies, conveying that the number of pathologists has steadily increased to manage test demands and reduce waiting times for important results. In general, their analyses are completed in the span of ten days, which puts them below the international average.
Prof Dr Mühlschlegel also explained that the laboratory will continue offering drive-in PCR tests. Their capacity is currently set at 1,000 tests a day, which they also use to sequence for coronavirus variants. It is clear that Omicron has become the dominant variant in Luxembourg, underlined the LNS director, and that it has long replaced Delta.
When asked about how he expects the coming months to unfold, Prof Dr Mühlschlegel said he wished for a way to look into the future, but expressed optimism since the country has so far coped well with the pandemic.
