INTRODUCTION:

The COVID-19 pandemic has created unprecedented challenges for laboratories around the world. National and subnational governments faced the urgent need to adapt institutions for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 in response to the health emergency declared in 2020. With the aim of increasing diagnostic capacity in the province of Misiones, a diagnostic laboratory of excellence was established within the “Instituto Misionero de Biodiversidad”. This article shares the steps taken and the challenges faced, in order to serve as a guide to other institutions.

METHODS:

The stages to establish the laboratory were: acquisition of equipment/reagents, adaptation/ renovation of the laboratory, incorporation and training of human resources, establishment of good practices and biosafety, selection of the extraction and detection methodology, implementation of quality controls and authorization.

RESULTS:

Since its authorization, the “Laboratorio de Análisis Integral” has processed 1186 biological samples from suspected cases of COVID-19, becoming the second reference laboratory in Misiones.

DISCUSSION:

The efficient articulation between the “Instituto Misionero de Biodiversidad” and the provincial Ministry of Health achieved the rapid implementation of this high complexity laboratory in a region of epidemiological importance.