Andina

Peru: EsSalud to support Cayetano Heredia University in creation of rapid molecular test

00:00 | Lima, Jul. 8.

The Social Health Insurance System (EsSalud) will support a project to create rapid molecular tests to detect COVID-19 cases, conducted by researchers at Cayetano Heredia Peruvian University (UPCH).

The initiative is intended to help tackle the coronavirus pandemic, which has infected more than 300,000 people in the South American country.

EsSalud Executive-President Fiorella Molinelli visited the UPCH Laboratory of Neurobiology, located in Lima, to find out more about the project.

The official was welcomed by Dr. Edward Malaga-Trillo —professor, researcher, and head of the laboratory— who said the low-cost test will deliver results in 40 minutes.

According to Malaga-Trillo, the test procedure does not require sophisticated equipment, which facilitates its transfer to other areas of the country for testing.

Molinelli noted that EsSalud supports the development and promotion of new technologies. In addition, she said this type of initiatives constitutes a great support for the country and will be useful in the fight against the novel coronavirus.

"Here we are at the Biotechnology Laboratory at Cayetano Heredia University, where molecular tests —which will be very useful and helpful to combat COVID-19— are being developed. We have offered our help to continue supporting these initiatives so that they can be replicated across the country," she expressed.

The EsSalud head remarked that she met with representatives from the National University of Engineering (UNI) a few days ago to support an initiative for designing mechanical ventilators, which are vital for the care of seriously-ill COVID-19 patients.

Invention

Last month, a team of biologists from the Cayetano Heredia Peruvian University (UPCH) and Peruvian University of Applied Sciences (UPC) announced that they had created a low-cost portable rapid molecular test that detects the presence of the novel coronavirus in 40 minutes.

The information was shared on social media by Edward Malaga-Trillo, who expressed his satisfaction with this invention made in Peru to help detect COVID-19 cases.

(END) NDP/RMB/MVB

Published: 7/8/2020