tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
PLoS One
. 2021 Jun 29;16(6):e0253334.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0253334. eCollection 2021.
COVID-19 laboratory preparedness and response in the Americas Region: Lessons learned
Juliana Almeida Leite[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Lionel Gresh[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Andrea Vicari[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Jean Marc Gabastou[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Enrique Perez[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Sylvain Aldighieri[SUP] 1 [/SUP], SARINET laboratories Network; Jairo Mendez-Rico[SUP] 1 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Abstract
By the time the etiologic agent of the COVID-19 was identified as a novel coronavirus, no country in the Americas Region had laboratory capacity for detecting this new virus. A strategic multilevel approach with specific reagent purchase and delivery, regional trainings, in-country missions, and the provision of technical support was established for timely preparedness of national reference laboratories for SARS-CoV-2 detection. All countries should be prepared to timely detect any potential pandemic emerging agent. The rapid SARS-CoV-2 molecular detection implementation throughout the Americas showed the importance of an efficient and coordinated laboratory response for preparedness. Here we present how in 25 days the Americas Region went from no SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic capacity, to molecular detection fully implemented in 28 Member States, under the coordinated strategy of the Pan American Health Organization and collaborative work at regional and country level with national authorities and public health laboratories.
. 2021 Jun 29;16(6):e0253334.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0253334. eCollection 2021.
COVID-19 laboratory preparedness and response in the Americas Region: Lessons learned
Juliana Almeida Leite[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Lionel Gresh[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Andrea Vicari[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Jean Marc Gabastou[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Enrique Perez[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Sylvain Aldighieri[SUP] 1 [/SUP], SARINET laboratories Network; Jairo Mendez-Rico[SUP] 1 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 34185777
- DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0253334
Abstract
By the time the etiologic agent of the COVID-19 was identified as a novel coronavirus, no country in the Americas Region had laboratory capacity for detecting this new virus. A strategic multilevel approach with specific reagent purchase and delivery, regional trainings, in-country missions, and the provision of technical support was established for timely preparedness of national reference laboratories for SARS-CoV-2 detection. All countries should be prepared to timely detect any potential pandemic emerging agent. The rapid SARS-CoV-2 molecular detection implementation throughout the Americas showed the importance of an efficient and coordinated laboratory response for preparedness. Here we present how in 25 days the Americas Region went from no SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic capacity, to molecular detection fully implemented in 28 Member States, under the coordinated strategy of the Pan American Health Organization and collaborative work at regional and country level with national authorities and public health laboratories.