A self-test for Covid-19 is the second best-selling product on the digital channels of Drogarias Pacheco and São Paulo (DPSP). More than 500 units were sold out of the approximately 500,000 of the Kovalent brand supplied to the company.
According to an official note, the product began to be sold this week on the internet and costs R$ 69.90. The DPSP reported that, this Thursday (3), the self-test should be available in physical pharmacies in the states of Minas Gerais, São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.
“The distribution to the other regions of the states will take place in the coming days”, according to the official note.
The self-tests received authorization from Anvisa (National Health Surveillance Agency) on January 28. Even so, each manufacturer needs to enter a different order to receive the agency’s approval. Currently, six have already been authorized.
Raiadrogasil, another large pharmacy chain made up of Drogasil and Drogaraia, already sells the Novel Coronavirus self-test at a price of R$69.90. The product is available in the drugstore’s virtual store.
In person, the company informed that, as of this Thursday (3), the self-test will be available in about 350 pharmacies in the state of São Paulo. For other states, the company says that the forecast is that the product will be available between Saturday (5) and Sunday (6).
Earlier this year, there was a huge increase in Covid cases and the demand for rapid antigen and laboratory tests skyrocketed. In that circumstance, the self-test had not yet been approved, but the pressure to release the products increased.
Currently, there is a perspective that there has been a decrease in demand for antigen tests and also in laboratories. Data provided by Abramed (Brazilian Association of Diagnostic Medicine), for example, show that in the week of January 24, an average of 390,000 Covid tests were carried out in laboratories. After two weeks, that number had dropped to approximately 160,000.
This perception is reiterated by Carlos Gouvea, executive president of CBDL (Brazilian Chamber of Laboratory Diagnosis). “I would say that in the weeks before Carnival it decreased [a realização de testes] both in laboratories and in pharmacies”, he said.
Even so, he believes that two factors could again impact the increase in demand for testing, making self-testing important. The first would be in relation to the recent agglomerations of Carnival, which can cause cases to grow again.
“We are in a period of relative calm with a very large focus of attention in the post-Carnival period. And then I can say: there was agglomeration and this is simply a reality […]People have practically forgotten that Covid still exists,” he says.
In addition, Gouvea also believes that people’s adoption of self-tests will come as the population realizes that the products are ready to be purchased.
“Once people start to realize that the product is available and that it can be easily acquired, it should start to generate a gradual increase in demand”, he says.
Chad-98Weaver, a distinguished author at NewsBulletin247, excels in the craft of article writing. With a keen eye for detail and a penchant for storytelling, Chad delivers informative and engaging content that resonates with readers across various subjects. His contributions are a testament to his dedication and expertise in the field of journalism.
