Will the latest wave of the COVID‐19 pandemic be an ecological disaster? There is an urgent need to replace plastic by ecologically virtuous materials

Abstract

Abstract Background and Aims Direct virological diagnosis of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome CoronaVirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) infectionis based on either viral antigen or viral genome detection. These methods, in addition to the dedicated reagents and transport packaging, require the use of quantities of plastic that may individually appear negligible but which, in the context of a pandemic, are very high. The aim was to estimate the amount of plastic involved in a diagnostic assay whether molecular or antigenic. Methods We weighed the plastics used to obtain a diagnostic assay result for SARS‐CoV‐2 infection in our hospital. Results Each ready‐to‐use antigen assay requires about 20 g of plastic whereas the PCR assay implies the use of 30 g. This unit mass, when compared to our laboratory's SARS‐CoV‐2 genomic screening activity,represents more than 10 tons of plastic for 2021. At our region level (#6.10 inhabitants), more than 350 tons of plastic were used to carry out more than 7 million declared PCR assays and as many antigenic assays. Conclusions The virologic diagnostic activityl inked to the SARS‐CoV‐2 pandemic has highlighted once more our dependance for plastic use. We must already think about a more environmentally virtuous diagnostic activity by integrating a reasonned use of diagnostic tools and a higher use of ecological friendly material. Parallel the notion of waste management must also be addressed in order to limit their environmental impact.

Keywords

• antigen
• COVID‐19
• diagnosis
• ecology
• PCR
• plastic