Efforts to break the chain of transmission of COVID-19 have received additional ammunition after two tools discovered by Indonesians received distribution permits from the Health Ministry.
By
KOMPAS EDITOR
·3 minutes read
ARSIP HUMAS UGM
GeNose, a Covid-19 disease detection tool created by the Gadjah Mada University (UGM) team, Yogyakarta. This tool has obtained a distribution permit from the Ministry of Health.
Efforts to break the chain of transmission of COVID-19 have received additional ammunition after two tools discovered by Indonesians received distribution permits from the Health Ministry.
This is certainly a breakthrough that has been long awaited considering that the efforts to deal with COVID-19 in Indonesia are still below World Health Organization (WHO) standards, especially in terms of testing and tracing. We know that testing and tracing make treatment effective, which in turn breaks the chain of transmission.
With a population of 267 million in Indonesia, ideally there should be 267,000 tests per week. Prof. Wiku Adisasmito, the spokesperson of the COVID-19 mitigation task force, said in early December that the number of tests had reached 90.64 percent of WHO standards by the end of November. However, the gap remains significant due to the large population.
It is not easy to reach WHO standards because Indonesia faces various obstacles. Among them are the availability of reagents, the limited availability of human resources and laboratory capacity, as well as the condition of infrastructure, which has not been adequate to overcome geographic challenges.
Currently, deaths from COVID-19 in Indonesia are 3 percent of the positive cases, while the WHO seeks for it to be below 2 percent.
The inability to reach the testing target will result in delays in tracing and treatment. As a result, many cases are only detected after severe symptoms appear, thereby increasing the risk of death. Currently, deaths from COVID-19 in Indonesia are 3 percent of the positive cases, while the WHO seeks for it to be below 2 percent.
ARSIP HUMAS UGM
GeNose Research Team member from Gadjah Mada University, Dian Kesumapramudya Nurputra (left) shows the results of GeNose\'s examination to the Governor of the Special Region of Yogyakarta (DIY) Sultan Hamengku Buwono X (right), on Monday (12/10/2020), in Yogyakarta City.
Therefore, the innovations of GeNose and CePAD deserve a warm welcome. GeNose is a tool for detecting COVID-19 through breath that was developed by Gadjah Mada University researchers. CePAD detects COVID-19 through antigen tests developed by researchers at Padjadjaran University. As rapid detection tools, they help screen cases more easily and in a bigger numbers, before they are confirmed with PCR (polymerase chain reaction) swab tests.
The Research and Technology Ministry has collaborated with the Health Ministry to speed up testing procedures and distribution permits for the two devices. At present, what is needed is openness and sectoral cooperation for the benefit of society.
GeNose and CePAD can stoke the enthusiasm of researchers to innovate while, of course, adhering to research procedures and protocols, let alone if it is related to therapeutic research for health. Research that has not gone through clinical trials should not be put into practice because the lives of people are at stake.
We also have many research institutions, both those attached to universities and organizations and those that stand alone such as the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) and the Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT).
We know that researchers in Indonesia are no less capable than researchers abroad. We also have many research institutions, both those attached to universities and organizations and those that stand alone such as the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) and the Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT). However, during the 75 years of Indonesia\'s independence, the results of research that can be applied and answer the needs of society have not been widely known.
This is the time for the Research and Technology Ministry to build a climate of innovation for the interests of the nation.
