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Del-Puerto F, Rojas LE, Díaz Acosta CC, Franco LX, Cardozo F, Galeano ME, Valenzuela A, Rojas A, Martínez M, Ayala-Lugo A, Mendoza L, Ovando FS, Martínez MF, Chung HJ, Webby R, Nara E, Caniza MA. The Experience of Testing for Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) at a Single Diagnostic Center in Paraguay before the Introduction of Vaccination. Viruses 2023; 15:v15051136. [PMID: 37243222 DOI: 10.3390/v15051136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2023] [Revised: 05/02/2023] [Accepted: 05/06/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Soon after the declaration of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Institute for Health Sciences Research (IICS) of the National University of Asunción, Paraguay became a testing laboratory (COVID-Lab) for SARS-CoV-2. The COVID-Lab testing performance was assessed from 1 April 2020 to 12 May 2021. The effect of the pandemic on the IICS and how the COVID-Lab contributed to the academic and research activities of the institute were also assessed. IICS researchers and staff adjusted their work schedules to support the COVID-Lab. Of the 13,082 nasopharyngeal/oropharyngeal swabs processed, 2704 (20.7%) tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 by RT-PCR. Of the individuals testing positive, 55.4% were female and 48.3% were aged 21-40 years. Challenges faced by the COVID-Lab were unstable reagent access and insufficient staff; shifting obligations regarding research, academic instruction, and grantsmanship; and the continuous demands from the public for information on COVID-19. The IICS provided essential testing and reported on the progress of the pandemic. IICS researchers gained better laboratory equipment and expertise in molecular SARS-CoV-2 testing but struggled to manage their conflicting educational and additional research obligations during the pandemic, which affected their productivity. Therefore, policies protecting the time and resources of the faculty and staff engaged in pandemic-related work or research are necessary components of healthcare emergency preparedness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florencia Del-Puerto
- COVID-19 Contingency Technical Committee of the Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Salud (IICS) of the Universidad Nacional de Asunción (UNA), San Lorenzo 111241, Paraguay
- Departamento de Biología Molecular y Biotecnología, Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Nacional de Asunción, San Lorenzo 111241, Paraguay
| | - Leticia E Rojas
- COVID-19 Contingency Technical Committee of the Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Salud (IICS) of the Universidad Nacional de Asunción (UNA), San Lorenzo 111241, Paraguay
- Departamento de Biología Molecular y Biotecnología, Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Nacional de Asunción, San Lorenzo 111241, Paraguay
| | - Chyntia C Díaz Acosta
- COVID-19 Contingency Technical Committee of the Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Salud (IICS) of the Universidad Nacional de Asunción (UNA), San Lorenzo 111241, Paraguay
- Departamento de Biología Molecular y Biotecnología, Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Nacional de Asunción, San Lorenzo 111241, Paraguay
| | - Laura X Franco
- COVID-19 Contingency Technical Committee of the Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Salud (IICS) of the Universidad Nacional de Asunción (UNA), San Lorenzo 111241, Paraguay
- Departamento de Biología Molecular y Biotecnología, Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Nacional de Asunción, San Lorenzo 111241, Paraguay
| | - Fátima Cardozo
- COVID-19 Contingency Technical Committee of the Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Salud (IICS) of the Universidad Nacional de Asunción (UNA), San Lorenzo 111241, Paraguay
- Departamento de Salud Pública, Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Nacional de Asunción, San Lorenzo 111241, Paraguay
| | - María E Galeano
- COVID-19 Contingency Technical Committee of the Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Salud (IICS) of the Universidad Nacional de Asunción (UNA), San Lorenzo 111241, Paraguay
- Departamento de Biología Molecular y Biotecnología, Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Nacional de Asunción, San Lorenzo 111241, Paraguay
| | - Adriana Valenzuela
- COVID-19 Contingency Technical Committee of the Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Salud (IICS) of the Universidad Nacional de Asunción (UNA), San Lorenzo 111241, Paraguay
- Departamento de Salud Pública, Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Nacional de Asunción, San Lorenzo 111241, Paraguay
| | - Alejandra Rojas
- COVID-19 Contingency Technical Committee of the Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Salud (IICS) of the Universidad Nacional de Asunción (UNA), San Lorenzo 111241, Paraguay
- Departamento de Producción, Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Nacional de Asunción, Dr. Cecilio Báez y Dr. Villamayor, Campus Universitario, San Lorenzo 111241, Paraguay
| | - Magaly Martínez
- COVID-19 Contingency Technical Committee of the Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Salud (IICS) of the Universidad Nacional de Asunción (UNA), San Lorenzo 111241, Paraguay
- Departamento de Biología Molecular y Biotecnología, Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Nacional de Asunción, San Lorenzo 111241, Paraguay
| | - Ana Ayala-Lugo
- COVID-19 Contingency Technical Committee of the Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Salud (IICS) of the Universidad Nacional de Asunción (UNA), San Lorenzo 111241, Paraguay
- Departamento de Genética, Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Nacional de Asunción, Dr. Cecilio Báez y Dr. Villamayor, Campus Universitario, San Lorenzo 111241, Paraguay
| | - Laura Mendoza
- COVID-19 Contingency Technical Committee of the Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Salud (IICS) of the Universidad Nacional de Asunción (UNA), San Lorenzo 111241, Paraguay
- Departamento de Salud Pública, Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Nacional de Asunción, San Lorenzo 111241, Paraguay
| | - Fátima S Ovando
- Departamento de Control de Infecciones, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Hospital de Clínicas, Universidad Nacional de Asunción, Campus Universitario, San Lorenzo 111241, Paraguay
| | - Mario F Martínez
- COVID-19 Contingency Technical Committee of the Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Salud (IICS) of the Universidad Nacional de Asunción (UNA), San Lorenzo 111241, Paraguay
- Dirección General, Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Nacional de Asunción, Dr. Cecilio Báez y Dr. Villamayor, Campus Universitario, San Lorenzo 111241, Paraguay
| | - Hyun J Chung
- Department of Global Pediatric Medicine, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Richard Webby
- Department of Infectious Diseases, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Eva Nara
- COVID-19 Contingency Technical Committee of the Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Salud (IICS) of the Universidad Nacional de Asunción (UNA), San Lorenzo 111241, Paraguay
- Departamento de Biología Molecular y Biotecnología, Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Nacional de Asunción, San Lorenzo 111241, Paraguay
| | - Miguela A Caniza
- Department of Global Pediatric Medicine, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
- Department of Infectious Diseases, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Medicine, Memphis, TN 38103, USA
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