Biobanking of COVID-19 specimens during the pandemic: The need for enhanced biosafety.

Abstract

Biobanking holds promising benefits particularly for improving the understanding of specific diseases and illnesses,1 as evidenced for the Zika virus disease. Research using biobanked blood samples helped resolve the ‘dengue-like syndrome’ misunderstanding associated with the Zika virus. Secondly, it provided comprehensive knowledge on the possibility for vertical transmission of the Zika virus between mother and child, as well as transmission via sexual relationships and blood transfusions.2 Biobanked biological samples could be kept for indefinite periods, allowing for long-term retrospective research in the future. The disease control opportunities that abound in biobanking can only be activated through efficient biobank structures.