Ther Innov Regul Sci
September 2025
Purpose: To identify and review scientific evidence from experimental studies utilizing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to transport samples for the diagnosis of COVID-19 and tuberculosis (TB). This exploratory study aims to support the future development of UAVs for transporting biological samples within the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS).
Methods: This scoping review defined its eligibility criteria using the PECO acronym, focusing on: Population: biological samples for diagnosing COVID-19 or TB; Exposure: UAV transportation; Comparator: land transportation; Outcomes: Cost, effectiveness, methods for sample preservation, flight parameters (time, altitude, speed, distance), and quality of transported samples.
This study evaluated clinical features of individuals with long COVID (5-8 months after diagnosis) who reported sleep and memory problems (62 cases) compared to those without (52 controls). Both groups had a similar mean age (41 39 years). Around 86% of the participants were non-hospitalized at the time of infection, and none of them were vaccinated at that point.
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