Brazil Develops Test to Identify Covid-19 Variants

The Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (FIOCRUZ), linked to the Brazilian Ministry of Health, has developed an RT-PCR test that allows the rapid detection of Covid-19 variants. Felipe Naveca, FIOCRUZ Amazonia Research and Innovation deputy director, said such a test will allow the Covid-19 variants to be swifter identified and strengthen the genetic surveillance of the virus.

Naveca explained that it is possible 'to do hundreds of tests daily, because the real-time PCR protocol is much easier and more direct than following the sequence, so we are able to do hundreds of tests per day.'

In order to corroborate the accuracy of the test, 87 samples already genetically sequenced were considered, and the RT-PCR protocol gave the same results.