COVID-19

Since the outbreak of the SARS-CoV-2 epidemic in 2020, we have drawn on the experience gained to find new methods and make improvement to existing ones. With the focus on providing efficient techniques to measure SARs-CoV-2 specific antibody response, we developed a multiplex assay using the Luminex technique to evaluate the presence of antibodies as well as their capacity of neutralization.
 

1. Immunovax, Post-CoV: We conduct longitudinal studies to measure antibody response as well as neutralizing capacity in healthy and immunocompromised patients (cancer treatment, transplantation or auto-immune diseases). The persistence of the response over time as well as the association of the type of vaccine, the underlying disease and the treatment with the response to vaccination are assessed. These studies have been published and are still ongoing.
    
2. UniSanté - SérocoVid, Morges Hospital: We are in close collaboration with UniSanté (SérocoViD) and Morges hospital and perform the serological assays for their cohorts.
    
3. Corona Immunitas: We are part of the Corona Immunitas program that aim to provide an accurate overview of SARS-CoV-2 prevalence of infection at the level of the population, in different geographical areas and of specific age groups. We process and analyze samples from more than 50’000 participants throughout Switzerland in collaboration with the universities of Zürich, (Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Prevention Institute), Basel, Bern, Fribourg, Geneva, Lausanne, Lucerne, Ticino, Neuchâtel, St-Gallen as well as the canton du Valais.
    
4. CoVICIS: CoVICIS is a three year project funded by the EU Horizon Europe program. It is led by CHUV involving 14 partners from 7 countries – Switzerland, Italy, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Ethiopia and South Africa. The mission of the project is to contribute to the early identification of emerging variants of concern and to obtain in-depth understanding of the risk and protective factors to SARS-CoV-2 infection as well as the evolution of the virus in different risk, gender and age groups. We provide technique for quantitative anti-SARS-CoV-2 Spike antibody profiling and assessment for laboratories across Europe and Africa who use our test.