UP scientists offer help in detecting Novel Coronavirus locally

Manila, Philippines: Recently, the Department of Health confirmed the Philippines' first case of 2019-nCoV that triggered concerns on the country's capability to handle a still no cure disease. 

 Long line started to build up in stores as people are panic buying surgical face mask, after the DOH announced first case of 2019-nCoV in the Philippines. Photo:Rey Refran/YouScoop

So far, the Philippines are sending samples for laboratory test of a suspected patients of deadly novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) outside the country, and it takes a couple of days before receiving the confirmatory tests.

Now a research center in the University of the Philippines (UP) are offering help, said that they would help health authorities confirm cases of the coronavirus in the country.

"The Philippines has the tools and cutting-edge equipment, trained DNA sequencing staff, and scientists to help validate the presence of 2019-nCoV in the country by sequencing the whole viral genome from samples collected from patients," Dr. Cynthia Saloma, executive director of the Philippine Genome Center (PGC), said in a statement quoted at ABS-CBN news.

Using a Next Generation DNA/RNA Sequencing (NGS) equipment, the Philippines will no longer have to send samples of suspected 2019-nCoV cases abroad. The equipment is accurate in identifying the genetic information of viruses. The result could be released after 3 days, he added.

Meanwhile, the Philippine Genome Center (PGC) is finalizing a kit to enable the country to conduct confirmatory tests locally on suspected patients of nCoV and be able to get the results within 24 hours. 

Also, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III on Wednesday said the Philippines would be able to set-up its own capability to detect the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) within 48 hours due to the RNA primer sent by Japan, he said during the question popped at the House of the Representatives.

Duque said the Japanese counterpart of the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) gave the RNA primer to be used for confirmatory testing of the virus.