RT-PCR detection kits provide more accurate COVID-19 test results. (Photo by IAEA)
IAEA donates COVID-19 detection kits to PH
As part of its program to help its member-states address COVID-19, the International Atomic Energy Agency donated detection kits that use nuclear techniques for quick, accurate detection of the dreaded virus. The Philippines is one of the member-states of the agency.
Called the Real-Time Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR), the technology is an important tool in detecting COVID-19 quickly, enabling doctors to immediately come up with diagnosis and provide proper medical care, increasing the survival chance of patients.
The diagnostic kits include microcentrifuge for sample extraction, shaker vortex, thermocycler, scanner for cryotubes, fastvirus master mix, and personal protective equipment. The €84,000- (or PhP4,776,595) worth donation is expected to be delivered next week to the Department of Health (DOH) which will field it to the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine and hospitals that conduct COVID-19 testing.
The IAEA will likewise conduct a training on the use of nuclear-derived techniques for the detection of COVID-19 when current restrictions are eased. It will be participated in by two professors from the University of the Philippines Manila.
The detection kits were formally requested by the Department of Foreign Affairs for DOH, and facilitated by the Permanent Mission of the Republic of the Philippines to the IAEA with the support of the DOST-PNRI, the country’s authority on nuclear matters. This IAEA donation is part of the technical cooperation project titled "Strengthening Capabilities of Member States in Building, Strengthening and Restoring Capacities and Services in Case of Outbreaks, Emergencies and Disasters."
