Brazilian diagnostic tests: essential health supplies for COVID-19 syndromic surveillance

Abstract

There is much evidence suggesting that mitigating the COVID-19 pandemic requires syndromic surveillance and isolation of suspected/confirmed  cases. The availability of diagnostic tests in the  Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS) is essential,  which could be facilitated by national sovereignty in  development and production, considering the high  demand/lack of supply in the international market.  This study identified the stages of translational  research into diagnostic tests for COVID-19 in Brazil,  verifying their geographic distribution, among other  indicators. A cross-sectional, exploratory study based  on a public database with 789 Research, Development, and Innovation (RD&I) projects  regarding COVID-19, complemented by other  searches, including the researchers’ curricula  (CVLattes). There were 89 diagnostic test projects in  the database. In 45 cases, it was possible to obtain  additional information to classify them according to  the translational research stages. Fifteen innovations  that reached the T3 stage were identified, with their  products incorporated into clinical protocols in  healthcare, even considering the deep budget  restrictions in RD&I. Brazil has the potential to  develop and implement technological products in the  field of diagnostic tests for SARS-CoV-2. Public health  RD&I policies need to be prioritized to expand  national and international cooperation to promote  effective national autonomy in syndromic surveillance  and population health.