A Resposta das Tecnologias de Saúde à Pandemia de COVID-19: Uma Luz ao Fundo do Túnel?

Abstract

The responses to the threats of the COVID-19 pandemic have been based on public health measures that prevent the spread of infection. After months of intense international research, the first vaccines against COVID-19 have already begun to be approved and administered. The first vaccine against COVID-19 was administered in Portugal, on December 27th, 2020, as it happened in all European counterparts. In addition to vaccines, the efficacy and safety of several medicines in the treatment of COVID-19 are still being studied, some of them already approved with other therapeutic indications. The need to generate information that guarantees the safety of the medicines under study, underlines the fundamental role of the pharmacovigilance system in every process. Finally, over time, both the use of tests and the use of medical devices associated with COVID-19 have also evolved very quickly. In testing, in addition to conventional PCR (polymerase chain reaction), rapid antibody and antigen tests have emerged. On the other hand, medical devices and personal protective equipment whose availability, in the first phase, was a serious problem, are now widely available, with emphasis on the greater national offer and technical improvements.