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Review
. 2021 Dec:13:100267.
doi: 10.1016/j.onehlt.2021.100267. Epub 2021 May 25.

Crucial contribution of the universities to SARS-CoV-2 surveillance in Ecuador: Lessons for developing countries

Daniela Santander-Gordon  1 , Gabriel A Iturralde  1 , Byron Freire-Paspuel  1 , Marlon S Zambrano-Mila  1 , Diana Morales-Jadan  1   2 , Paolo A Vallejo-Janeta  1 , Barbara Coronel  1 , Heberson Galvis  1 , Tatiana Jaramillo-Vivanco  1 , Christian D Bilvao  1 , Maria Belen Paredes-Espinosa  1 , Angel S Rodriguez  1 , Juan C Laglaguano  1 , Henry Herrera  1 , Ana M Tito-Alvarez  1   3 , Esteban Ortiz-Prado  2 , Ismar A Rivera-Olivero  2 , Aquiles R Henriquez-Trujillo  2 , Tannya Lozada  1 , Miguel Angel Garcia-Bereguiain  1   2 ; "The UDLA-COVID-19 Team"
Affiliations
Review

Crucial contribution of the universities to SARS-CoV-2 surveillance in Ecuador: Lessons for developing countries

Daniela Santander-Gordon et al. One Health. 2021 Dec.

Abstract

COVID-19 pandemic has challenged public health systems worldwide, particularly affecting developing countries in Latin America like Ecuador. In this report, we exposed the fundamental role of the Ecuadorian universities to improve COVID-19 surveillance in the country, with an overall contribution over 15% of the total SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR tests done. We highlight the role of our university during the first semester of the COVID-19 pandemic, contributing to a massive free SARS-CoV-2 testing up to almost 10% of the total diagnosis completed in the country, mainly focus on underserved urban, rural and indigenous communities. Finally, we described our contribution to a high quality and low-cost SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR diagnostic in Ecuador.

Keywords: Ecuador; Neglected communities; RT-PCR; SARS-CoV-2; Surveillance.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Distribution of SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR tests done by “Universidad de Las Américas” among 18 provinces of Ecuador.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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