Covid rapid testing in meat plants met ‘brick wall’ in HSE
Agriculture off icials spent four months trying to get approval
THE Department of Agriculture spent more than four months trying to convince public health authorities of the merits of introducing rapid Covid-19 testing for workers at meat processing plants.
However, it was met with ‘negative sentiments’ and a ‘continued unexplained reluctance’ to endorse its plans to try and tackle outbreaks in the meat industry, according to internal records.
The department had been involved in a pilot study at a factory last summer, which found particular high risks of infection in areas where meat was cut.
It discovered some 60 of the 100
‘Unexplained reluctance to accept proposal’
workers who tested positive for Covid-19 had been working in the boning hall where chilled air was recirculated to keep conditions cool for food hygiene reasons.
As part of its recommendations, the report said the possibility of introducing rapid testing for meat processing plants should be considered.
Internal records reveal how the department began writing to the HSE last September recommending ‘mass testing of the workforce in food businesses’.
The Department of Agriculture said it was willing to support and coordinate the evaluation to see if rapid testing could help stem outbreaks.
An email to public health authorities said: ‘It is not clear to us how we may secure the imprimatur of public health authorities at national level.’
Towards the end of September, a Department of Agriculture official, who had extensive experience of infectious diseases, presented its proposal to public health officials. An account of the briefing session said: ‘While there were some negative sentiments expressed by attendees at the meeting, Dr [name redacted] summed up by indicating that while rapid tests may not be perfect… some work to provide evidence on their use was indicated.’
The National Virus Reference Laboratory indicated it could lend the support of its most senior virologist to set up a pilot study. However, emails reveal how the plan for rapid testing later hit a brick wall, with one message expressing frustration at the ‘continued unexplained reluctance of [the] HSE to endorse our proposal’.
The department said they would have to look at a Plan B to see if a trial could take place.
Internal emails describe concerns raised by the food industry and Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue of their efforts being seen as a ‘solo run’.
One email said: ‘They would be reluctant to do this if public health authorities were likely to dismiss these efforts as irrelevant or unhelpful.’
By September 30, the department was told no alternative test – apart from the standard PCR-tests in use – was currently being approved, but that other options were being considered.
An internal email said: ‘I am just speculating, but if it is the case that some such report is imminent, it might partly explain a reluctance to move ahead of that in endorsing or even trialling/seeking to valid rapid test.’
By mid-October, the department told public health authorities there was a ‘significant appetite’ within the food industry to roll out rapid testing for workers.
One email said this could be trialled at ‘little or no additional cost to the State (and with very little draw on already over-stretched public health resources)’.
An internal message explained how rapid testing might not be perfect, but that, ‘a reasonably good result today is a lot better than a perfect result in two to three days’.
By early January, as the country grappled with the aftermath of a wave of Christmas Covid-19 infections, rapid testing still had not been trialled at a meat plant.
Department records also reveal the HSE had said its computer systems could not cater for reporting of results from rapid antigen tests.
By the end of January, two trial tests finally took place at meat plants with three positive tests at one factory, and ‘proof of concept’ that rapid testing could help.
But by mid-February the department was still trying to iron out issues with health authorities over a legal disclaimer for their use.
An email said: ‘[We are] still attempting to bring this matter to a conclusion with the HSE.’
A spokesman for the department said it had worked closely with the public health authorities throughout the pandemic.
He said: ‘The adoption of RADT [rapid testing] by the food industry has been slower than expected mostly due to the logistical and practical difficulties in deploying RADT as per agreed guidelines.’
‘Logistical and practical difficulties’