University integration and epidemiological surveillance in fighting Covid-19

Abstract

Mass testing of the population is a strategy to face the Covid-19 pandemic, as it allows knowing the situation of transmission of the virus, to design policies for action. However, the few existing tests in health services were available only for severe cases and for health professionals, especially in the first months of the pandemic. In Santa Maria, starting in June, rapid tests were made available free of charge. However, the Municipal Health Department of Santa Maria (SMS) did not have enough staff to apply the tests to a large number of people notified as suspects, since the beginning of the pandemic. These people consulted the health service with mild symptoms, and were placed in domestic isolation for 14 days, but it was not possible to seal the diagnosis. In view of this, SMS asked for support from UFSM for the Mutirão to carry out rapid tests, held in Parque da Medianeira on July 11. It integrates the action, the analysis of the database, the identification, through telephone calls, of people who have already been tested and their notification, subsequent testing actions in basic health units and continuous processing of surveillance data. These stages extend during the pandemic. The elucidation of the list of suspects will make it possible to clarify the real magnitude of the pandemic in the city of Santa Maria by including mild cases of the disease in the official data. In addition, it will provide a service to people who still have doubts about their health situation.

DOI:https://doi.org/10.56238/globalhealthprespesc-079