NOVA University of Lisbon has already started the serological tests on its academic community. Teachers, researchers, employees and students who attend face-to-face classes and all those who live in the university's residences have started being tested. The tests, which are free of charge and voluntary, will be carried out in all the faculties, institutes and school of NOVA, as well as in the Rectory.
After the blood had been collected, the samples will be analyzed at CEDOC - Chronic Diseases Research Centre of NOVA Medical School (NMS). This is yet another initiative that NOVA has developed to guarantee the best health and safety conditions, considering the current and the next academic year (2020-21).
These serological tests were designed within the scope of the Serology4COVID Consortium, which brings together CEDOC - Chronic Diseases Research Centre, ITQB NOVA - Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, iBET - Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica, IGC - Instituto Gulbenkian Ciência and iMM - Institute of Molecular Medicine.
The consortium's objective is to design serological tests that will reconstruct the past and identify who has been infected with the new coronavirus and may have gained immunity. Thereby, it will be possible to have a more realistic and complete picture of what happened in the country, so that new strategies can be implemented to control the spread of the disease and minimize its consequences for health, society and the economy.