At a time when the DGS (Directorate-General of Health) is working on guidelines for rapid tests, the Portuguese pharmaceutical company BioJam has announced its capacity to bring to the national market, within 24 hours, 3 million rapid tests.
The Portuguese pharmaceutical company BioJam has operational capacity to place in the Portuguese market, within 24 hours, three million rapid antigen tests. The company's announcement comes after the Directorate-General of Health indicated that detailed information for healthcare professionals and the general population on the application and use of rapid tests for COVID-19 will be issued "very soon," according to Lusa.
"Since September 15, BioJam has been authorized to distribute in Portugal COVID-19 rapid antigen tests that allow the detection of possible positive cases of COVID-19 from the first 24 hours of contagion. Designed for rapid diagnosis in the early stage of infection, the test provides results in just 15 minutes," according to the statement sent to the media.
Antigen rapid tests provide "essential" information. The company's tests are manufactured in Germany and are a diagnostic tool that "based on a lateral flow system, does not require instrumentation, meaning the test is done with a simple device that detects the presence of a substance in a liquid sample without the need for specialized and expensive equipment."
BioJam has been authorized since September 15 to distribute in Portugal COVID-19 rapid antigen tests that allow the detection of possible positive cases of COVID-19 from the first 24 hours of contagion. Designed for rapid diagnosis in the early stage of infection, the test provides results in just 15 minutes.
Carlos Monteiro, CEO of BioJam Holding Group, emphasized in a statement that "with the increase in people's movement, the return to active life, and the return to schools, it is essential to provide the population not only with information, but also with tools that constitute a way for them to test themselves and ensure the safety of their family, friends, and workplace, thus breaking possible infection chains. We are certain that the price and speed of response in the acquisition and performance of tests are essential to reverse the upward trend of new cases identified every day."
According to Lusa, on Monday, Graça Freitas, Director-General of Health, emphasized that rapid tests have been a matter of "great international and national research," which is why the Directorate-General of Health, Infarmed, and the National Institute of Health Dr. Ricardo Jorge have been working "hard" to verify the capacity of a rapid test.
"We have gathered a large number of experts and the publication of two documents that are very important is imminent. A joint normative circular from these three institutions with generic indications on the tests and in which situations they apply, and a clinical guideline, aimed at doctors, to know when they can and should apply these tests," she said.
Graça Freitas stressed that these guidelines took time to develop because the goal is for these tests to provide an accurate diagnosis.
In Portugal, 2,094 people have already died out of 87,913 confirmed cases of infection, according to the most recent bulletin from the Directorate-General of Health. In the last 24 hours, Portugal recorded 14 deaths and 1,249 infections.
News published in Dinheiro Vivo
