Rapid tests for coronavirus start at pharmacies, but experts still worry | National newspaper

A chain from Fortaleza began offering rapid tests of Covid-19 this week. The tests are done with the person inside the car. A pharmacy in Belo Horizonte has reserved a room for exams.

The two chains are part of Abrafarma, which brings together 8,000 of the country’s 79,000 pharmacies and is in favor of the tests. The association published a protocol of procedures for the exams.

In it, he reinforced what Anvisa had already reported that “negative results do not totally exclude Sars-Cov-2 infection and positive results should not be used as absolute evidence of infection and should be interpreted by a health professional” .

The publication of tests in pharmacies is viewed with concern by the sector itself. Febrafar, another association that brings together 10,000 pharmacies in the country, recommends avoiding rapid tests due to the lack of adequate space in pharmacies, and understanding that this would increase the risk of contamination of employees and customers.

“If you are bringing a patient into your facility for a test, it is very likely that they are infected. You have a complete need for disinfection, cleaning, preparation for the next patient to avoid contamination from new people who come. And then our entire team ends up being exposed too ”, highlights Edison Tamasci, president of Febrafar.

The Brazilian Association of Diagnostic Medicine, which brings together large laboratories in the country, said that, according to Anvisa’s resolution, pharmacies must meet the same requirements as laboratories. And he asked for supervision to ensure the safety of clients.

Today, rapid tests are already offered in some labs. According to the association, they are all registered with Anvisa, but none has undergone validation tests. “These have not yet been validated. And this is what we are going to present, we will soon make a public list of validated tests available ”, highlights Priscilla Franklim Martins, Executive Director of Abramed.

Anvisa reported that so far it has registered 41 rapid tests. Of these, only eight were analyzed by Fiocruz and, according to the agency, they showed satisfactory results. Anvisa also stated that authorization only occurs after proven good manufacturing practice and technical evaluations. And that any unexpected performance must be reported to the agency. According to the Laboratory Association, validated tests are only available on the public network.

Virologist Amilcar Tanuri of UFRJ says that rapid tests may be important to monitor the evolution of the disease, but that a doctor’s analysis is necessary. The test can give a false result if it is performed in the so-called immune window, the period it takes for the infected person to produce antibodies.