Organizational and Functional Reassignment of a Scientific Plague Control Institution of the Rospotrebnadzor under Conditions of Coronavirus Infection Pandemic

The aim of the work was to summarize the experience of the Rostov-on-Don Research Anti-Plague Institute in the organizational and functional response aimed at ensuring the implementation of a complex of on-going and scheduled anti-epidemic (preventive) measures at different territorial levels in the context of COVID-19 pandemic. Stage-wise reassignment of scientific and operational subdivisions of the facility was carried out in a timely manner in a flexible mode for a prompt response to the challenges that arose from community transmission of the new coronavirus infection in the territory of the Russian Federation. It allowed an effective distribution of the forces and assets without damage for specialized functioning in the main areas of scientific and practical activities. Realized was an effective interdepartmental interaction with territorial scientific and practical institutions of the Rospotrebnadzor and specialized medical organizations. Practical, methodological and advisory assistance was provided to personnel of specialized medical institutions within the framework of conversing in-patient facilities into hospitals for the treatment of patients with COVID-19. Priority research to study the level of the humoral and cellular immune response to SARS-CoV-2 among the population of the Rostov Region, the etiological spectrum of the causative agents of community-acquired pneumonia associated with COVID-19, full genome sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 isolates was carried out. Specialists of the task forces reinforced human resources of individual laboratory facilities in Moscow city, the Republic of Crimea and the Rostov Region. Complex objective of effective functioning has been implemented: in an operational mode – participation in anti-epidemic (preventive) measures in the face of changes in the dynamics and intensity of the epidemic manifestations of new coronavirus infection; in scheduled mode – the implementation of activities in the main areas of the scientific work of the organization.

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