Porto City Hall carries out serological testing to frontline municipal workers fighting Covid-19

Porto City Hall, in partnership with i3S- Health Research and Innovation Institute, through Ipatimup Diagnosis, carries out serological testing to assess the presence of antibodies to the SARS-CoV-2 in over 1500 municipal workers fighting the current pandemic. 

The Drive-thru system was tried today by the Municipal Executive. Mayor Rui Moreira was the first to be tested.

Following this serological testing to the frontline municipal workers fighting the new coronavirus pandemic, the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Porto (FMUP) will perform an epidemiological study to this population, based on a inquiry to the people tested as well. This inquiry features demographic, professional and clinical data, in compliance with the Data Protection General Regulation.

The serological testing by Ipatimup Diagnósticos technicians and also i3S volunteers comprises fast response kits and works as a Drive thru system, located in i3S parking lot.

This initiative is done jointly with the Human Resources Municipal Division. The main purpose is to provide a better knowledge of the current situation and to adjust protective procedures to each job.

Rui Moreira states that "in a first phase of testing promoted by the Municipality, Porto devoted its first effort to supplement a systematic testing programme to the elderly of nursing homes, by using PCR tests and it was the first city to set up a Drive Thru unity to screen the presence of Covid-19 in the population. Carrying out serological testing to our workers, by their jobs and because they were in the frontline, will allow not only to obtain interesting data on the immunological state of this population, but also is essential on the Human Resources viewpoint, to match initiatives and procedures in tye current lifting of restraining measures within the municipal sphere".

"This sample is the starting point to determine the presence of antibodies in the population of the municipality of Porto. This will enable to assess the number of people that were in contact with the virus and estimate the immunological answer and the spread of the virus in the region", explains Claudio Sunkel, i3S Director.

Paulo Canedo, Ipatimup Diagnósticos Manager, in turn affirms that "this serological testing is meant to assess antibodies produced after the exposure to SARS-COV-2, responsible for Covid-19. The test takes approximately 10 minutes and enables to identify the individuals that already developed an immunological response to this virus".