Fiorella Palmieri
Hector Jara
The content of this news item has been machine translated and may contain some inaccuracies with respect to the original content published in Spanish.
A great achievement for Peru! The PUCP Genomics Laboratory received authorisation from the National Institute of Health (INS) to perform molecular diagnostics of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19).
This is excellent news for our University which, in this way, joins the national network of laboratories that carry out this type of studies and tests in support of the Ministry of Health. national laboratory network which carry out this type of studies and tests in support of the Ministry of Health. In the same way, PUCP is one of the five universities that have a laboratory with the faculty to carry out these diagnostic tests in Peru. The authorisation was handed over this Thursday 3rd at the PUCP Genomics Laboratory, with the participation of Dr. Aldo Panfichi, vice-rector of Research at PUCP; Dr. Mariana Leguía, director of our Genomics Laboratory; and Dr. César Cabezas, head of the INS.
"This authorisation is a great achievement that reflects the technological capacity we have installed at PUCP. It is a great satisfaction for our team to be part of this effort. The PCR tests for SARS-CoV-2 with 'diagnostic stamp' performed at our University serve to clinically diagnose the presence of the virus in the patient".
Director of the Genomics Laboratory PUCP
"Having obtained this authorisation is a great achievement that reflects the technological capacity that we have installed at PUCP. It is a great satisfaction for our team to be part of this effort. Not just any institution manages to implement a laboratory authorised and empowered to perform PCR tests for SARS-CoV-2 with a 'diagnostic stamp'. This means that the tests performed at PUCP serve to clinically diagnose the presence of the virus in the patient. The authorisation certifies the exercise of good health practices and the quality of the service provided by our laboratory," said Dr. Mariana Leguía.
In this regard, the director of our Genomics Laboratory clarifies that, without this authorisation, the tests "would not have diagnostic validity to certify the presence of the virus in patients and could only be used for research purposes".
"The authorisation received by the Genomics Laboratory means for PUCP the recognition of the high quality of our researchers, and, above all, the reaffirmation of our commitment to put our resources and knowledge at the service of Peru. Without science there is no development," said Dr Panfichi.
"The authorisation received by the Genomics Laboratory means for PUCP the recognition of the high quality of our researchers and, above all, the reaffirmation of our commitment to put our resources and knowledge at the service of Peru. Without science there is no development.
Vice-Rector for Research
Since June, our Genomics Laboratory underwent exhaustive evaluations by INS experts. Thus, in order to comply with the requirements of this authorisation, some adjustments were made in the Laboratory and in the Health Service, such as the acquisition of equipment, the fitting out of spaces and the training of personnel. "In addition, the INS carried out two on-site visits to review the facilities. As a working group, we went through a 'blind test', which consisted of diagnosing a group of samples previously evaluated by the INS. The objective was to verify whether our results matched those of the INS and we obtained the maximum score, with no errors," added Dr Leguía.
For his part, Dr. César Cabezas, head of the INS, highlighted the collaborative work carried out by the PUCP in the context of the health emergency. "There are many health problems that will need this technology, such as dengue, malaria, Zika or yellow fever. The INS is the hinge between academia and public health decision-makers to continue advancing for the benefit of the population," said the head of the INS.
After obtaining authorisation approval, PUCP has been able to perform PCR molecular diagnostics since the end of November. As a first step, the Genomics Laboratory, in collaboration with the Health Service, will improve PUCP's internal surveillance and perform its own molecular diagnostics for staff working on campus. "We will be self-sufficient. So far, this surveillance has been done through rapid tests. We will have better epidemiological surveillance," she said.
In turn, as a university with an authorised laboratory, the PUCP will be able to initiate new research projects, and will be ready to support government requests for support in the diagnosis and analysis of molecular tests for the benefit of the country. For the time being, there are no plans to provide diagnostic tests to external audiences in the service modality.
Genomics Laboratory
Health Service
