MediLabSecure: A One Health Network Facing the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic did not take us completely by surprise. The experts in public health worldwide heard the warnings and tried to alert and act. In many places, surveillance systems to monitor the emergence of new pathogens were set up. Many countries worldwide worked on prevention and preparedness for epidemic-prone infectious diseases. The rapidity of the identification of a novel human virus, and the quick sharing of its full sequence compared to past epidemics is proof of the continuous improvement of our systems worldwide. Immediately after the emergence of SARS-CoV-2, the first difficulty facing this completely new virus was to set up specific and sensitive diagnostic tools. The implementation of efficient and robust RT-qPCR in a timely manner has been critical for the global response. MediLabSecure, an international One Health project working on preparedness and prevention of zoonotic viruses in 22 Mediterranean, Black Sea, and Sahel countries, had been crucial to support the rapid and efficient implementation of diagnostic and sequencing tools in the region. During the first months of the pandemic, MediLabSecure shared protocols with all beneficiary countries, and sent reagents and positive controls corresponding to more than 23,000 reactions with public health and veterinary laboratories from 21 countries involved in SARS-CoV-2 diagnostics. This support facilitated and was significant for the first detection of cases in 15 countries of the network. Additionally, MediLabSecure shared sequencing protocols and trained scientists and technical staff for the sequencing and characterization of the virus during the pandemic. The One Health approach involving veterinary and public health laboratories proved highly beneficial for both sectors. This case study aims to advocate the importance of One Health and international capacity building projects, such as MediLabSecure, as essential actors in the multisectoral fight against emerging infectious diseases and for the efficiency and resilience of our public health systems.