The diagnostics market must feel the impact that the authorization of the sale of self-tests for Covid-19 in Brazil can have on its business. The release of the new model, which is applied by the consumer himself and must have a price below that currently practiced, may reduce the demand for the testing service in laboratories and pharmacies.
In the last month, companies have seen the demand for exams explode in the face of the advancement of the omicron variant and even register a shortage of the product.
Until this Sunday (6), Anvisa had already received at least 33 requests from suppliers to register their self-tests, a necessary step for commercialization. Data is presented 24 hours late on the dashboard that monitors incoming new requests — and therefore the number could be higher.
Health plan operators, which are required to cover three types of exams for Covid, can also feel the effects of the arrival of self-tests on the market.
From the beginning of the pandemic until October 2021, operators had already covered almost 11.6 million Covid tests, according to the latest data from the ANS (National Supplementary Health Agency) collected by Abramge, which brings together operators in the sector.
Of the total, about 10 million were of the RT-PCR type, the gold standard for the diagnosis of Covid, incorporated in 2020 to the list of coverage of health plans. The others correspond to antibody tests.
More recently, in January, the ANS also incorporated rapid tests into the requirement. The plans have about 49 million beneficiaries.
with Andressa Motter and Ana Paula Branco
Source: Folha
I have over 8 years of experience in the news industry. I have worked for various news websites and have also written for a few news agencies. I mostly cover healthcare news, but I am also interested in other topics such as politics, business, and entertainment. In my free time, I enjoy writing fiction and spending time with my family and friends.
