–
Edward Málaga-Trillo, senior professor at the Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia (UPCH), said that he hopes that the production of rapid molecular tests for COVID-19, which he has been developing with a group of colleagues, can be completed before the end of the year. The researcher asked for caution with expectations when recalling the limitations of the country.
“As with the vaccine, you have to be cautious about expectations. If we were in a first world country this would be taking place in less than a month, but being in Peru with the state we have and the limited situation, I imagine it would not be less than two months. Two to three months, we wait before the end of the year. It is the expectation “, said the researcher to Canal N.
The doctor explained that a prototype of a rapid diagnostic test has been developed to date, but that it requires approval of its use through a second validation phase.
“We have completed phase 1 of validation these days. Phase 2 is missing. The road is very long. Today we are going to have a meeting with representatives of Digemid and others to establish this roadmap. On that, we will be able to make use of the test with a large number of samples, which we hope that in less than a month we will be able to have the approval so that this goes to the production aspect “, said Málaga-Trillo.
The main professor at UPCH commented that if he had the opportunity to speak with President Martín Vizcarra, he would recommend that the Government bet on the production of molecular tests. In addition, he suggested contact tracing as another action, an activity in which specialist scientists can support.
“These two strategies will allow us to identify where the virus is moving, at what speed, in what proportion and in what places to precisely contain it and contain the people who are infecting others. It is about focusing on the origin and not the consequences “, said.
–
