On August 10 and 11, the Government of the State of São Paulo, through a partnership between the State Secretariat for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (SEDPcD), Social Development, Housing, the State and Municipal Health Secretariats, and the Butantan Institute, carried out COVID-19 testing on more than 1,320 residents of Santo André, in the ABC region of São Paulo, of whom 223 were persons with disabilities.
Approximately 94.6% of the tests conducted on people with disabilities yielded non-reactive results, meaning the virus was not present. Of the 5.4% of tests that returned positive results, people with disabilities were isolated and began to be monitored by local health teams, as were their caregivers and family members. The initiative took place in person at Praça da Cidadania in the Jardim Santo André neighborhood, as well as at participants’ homes.
“Our Secretariat, in alignment with the State Government and Governor João Doria, carries out services, programs, and projects following the maxim that states: To treat unequals equally is to treat them unequally. Therefore, the tests carried out by the Butantan Institute and various Secretariats serve people with disabilities, family members, and caregivers in their own homes. Thus, we effectively and respectfully serve the segment of people with disabilities, emphasized the State Secretary for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Célia Leão.
Rapid tests (IgM/IgG) can provide results in 10 to 30 minutes and help map the “immunized” population (those who have already had the virus or been exposed to it), and RT-PCR (Reverse Transcription – Polymerase Chain Reaction) tests are real-time tests that check for the presence of the virus's genetic material, confirming that the person currently has COVID-19. RT-PCR (the gold standard) and antigen tests have a diagnostic function, serving as the definitive test according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
SOURCE:
SAO PAULO STATE GOVERNMENT
