Rapid tests do not require specialized training or expensive equipment.
And they can be deployed to primary health centers, where they can reach more people closer to home 🧓🏾👩🏻🧔🏿👩🏿🦱👵🏽🧒🏽
The best way to scale up testing is to leverage rapid antigen tests, which offer a diagnosis in minutes ⏰, not days.
But even with this strong lab network 🔬, demand for testing is higher than ever – especially as many countries in our region are also experiencing an active flu season – so it’s critical that countries use tests smartly.
This network has helped detect the arrival of Omicron 🦠 in countries like Guatemala, Honduras, and the Dominican Republic – helping governments adapt their responses to this latest wave.
The network is also on the lookout for new or evolving viruses, so that our region 🌎 is prepared as new threats arise.
These labs analyze virus 🦠 samples from our region to help countries track and learn 🧪 how this virus is evolving.
Today we have a network of more than 32 laboratories 🔬 across the Americas, including National Influenza Centers and Public Health Laboratories in at least 29 countries.
The good news is that even before COVID arrived in our region 2️⃣ years ago, we had been working to bolster our region’s laboratory 🔬 capacity to respond to emerging 🦠, so every country had the training, the supplies, & the ability to perform COVID diagnostic tests @DirOPSPAHO
As COVID surges throughout the region 🌎, countries are facing a familiar challenge ➡️ COVID testing.
PAHO’s Revolving Fund will soon reach the milestone of delivering 📦 100 million doses of vaccines to 33 countries, and as more vaccines become available, we encourage those who haven’t been vaccinated to do so.
