CoViNet: nova mreža globalnih laboratorijev za koronaviruse

A new global network of laboratories for koronavirusi, CoViNet, has been launched by WHO. The aim behind this initiative is to bring together surveillance programs and reference laboratories to support enhanced epidemiological monitoring and laboratory (phenotypic and genotypic) assessment of SARS-CoV-2, MERS-CoV and novel koronavirusi of public health importance.

The newly launched network expands on the “WHO SARS-CoV-2 Reference Laboratory Network” established earlier in January 2020, with the initial objective to provide confirmatory testing to countries with no or little testing capacity for SARS-CoV-2. Since then, the needs for SARS-CoV-2 have evolved and monitoring the evolution of the virus, spread of variants and assessing the impact of variants on public zdravje remains essential.

Po nekaj letih od Covid-19 pandemic, WHO has decided to broaden and revise the scope, objectives and terms of reference and establish a new ‘WHO Koronavirus Network” (CoViNet) with enhanced epidemiological and laboratory capacities including: (i) expertise in animal health and environmental surveillance; (ii) other koronavirusi, including MERS-CoV; and (iii) the identification of novel koronavirusi that could negatively affect human health.

CoViNet , thus, is a network of global laboratories with expertise in human, animal and environmental koronavirus surveillance with the following core objectives:

early and accurate detection of SARS-CoV-2, MERS-CoV and novel koronavirusi of public health importance;
surveillance and monitoring of the global circulation and evolution of SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV and novel koronavirusi of public health importance recognizing the need for a “One Health” approach;
timely risk assessment for SARS-CoV-2, MERS-CoV and novel koronavirusi of public health importance, to inform WHO policy related to a range of public health and medical counter measures; and
podpora za krepitev zmogljivosti2 laboratorijev, ki ustrezajo potrebam WHO in CoViNet, zlasti tistih v državah z nizkimi in srednjimi dohodki, za SARS-CoV-2, MERS-CoV in nove koronaviruse, pomembne za javno zdravje.

Mreža trenutno vključuje 36 laboratorijev iz 21 držav v vseh 6 regijah WHO.

Predstavniki laboratorijev so se 26. in 27. marca sestali v Ženevi, da bi dokončali akcijski načrt za obdobje 2024–2025, da bi bile države članice SZO bolje opremljene za zgodnje odkrivanje, oceno tveganja in odziv na zdravstvene izzive, povezane s koronavirusom.

Podatki, ustvarjeni s prizadevanji CoViNeta, bodo usmerjali delo tehničnih svetovalnih skupin Svetovne zdravstvene organizacije za razvoj virusov (TAG-VE) in sestavo cepiv (TAG-CO-VAC) ter drugih ter zagotovili, da globalne zdravstvene politike in orodja temeljijo na najnovejših znanstvenih informacijah.

Pandemije COVID-19 je konec, vendar so epidemija in tveganja pandemije, ki jih predstavljajo koronavirusi, velika glede na preteklo zgodovino. Zato je treba bolje razumeti visokorizične koronaviruse, kot so SARS, MERS in SARS-CoV-2, ter odkrivati nove koronaviruse. Nova globalna mreža laboratorijev naj bi zagotovila pravočasno odkrivanje, spremljanje in ocenjevanje javnozdravstveno pomembnih koronavirusov.

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