Ministry of Health asks Anvisa to release covid-19 self-test

The Ministry of Health sent this Thursday (13) a technical note to the National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa) advocating the approval of the release of the commercial offer of covid-19 tests that can be applied autonomously by the people themselves, or " self-tests”.

In the document, the ministry argues that the use of self-tests would be a complementary strategy to the testing plan adopted during the pandemic. This measure would allow the expansion of the number of tests.

The offer of more tests would allow more agility in the identification of cases of infection by the coronavirus and the adoption of the measures recommended by the ministry, especially isolation to combat the circulation of the virus.

The increase in tests is also important, according to the agency, to avoid overloading the health system, which “is already far beyond its capacity to provide care”.

In the note, the ministry advocates that requirements be adopted for the sale of self-tests in pharmacies and health facilities. One of them is to respect the recommendations of the World Health Organization, such as a minimum of 80% for sensitivity and 97% for specificity.

“In addition, the test registration applicant must provide a telephone communication channel, free of charge, available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, for user support with direct access to qualified personnel to meet, guide and forward the demands of the interested party about the use of the product, interpretation of the results and how to proceed after obtaining them”, proposes the folder in the document.