Biobank Sweden’s National COVID-19 Coordination

The Swedish Research Council-funded research infrastructure Biobank Sweden supports healthcare providers and universities with medical faculties working towards national harmonisation in biobanking.

As reported earlier this year, Biobank Sweden was awarded additional funding amounting to 1 million Euros from the Swedish Research Council, as part of their major initiative to support Covid-19 related research efforts. A national working group has been appointed in order to oversee the facilitation of sample collection, the safeguarding of standardisation matters in this context, and the distribution of funds.

The group reports that 17 out of Sweden’s 21 healthcare regions will be able to participate in the effort. At the end of the first stage, which will be finalised in January 2020, approximately €460 000 will have been disseminated, the equivalent of around 30 000 Covid-19 samples made available for research.