Cuban Metrology guarantees effectiveness of measurements to fight COVID-19

HAVANA, Cuba, May 20 (ACN) Cuban Metrology has guaranteed the technical support of measurements in the fight against COVID-19 through scientific research, new clinical and microbiological laboratories, and medical equipment, protocols and drugs.

So it is asserted by experts from the National Bureau of Standards (ONN) in the context of World Metrology Day 2021, dedicated to Measurement for Health at a time when the experience and capabilities of these organizations have been transformed in the face of the challenges imposed by the new coronavirus.

They remarked that the development of the Cuban vaccine candidates was based on thorough and safe measurements that made it possible to assess and ensure their results and highlighted the importance of these measurements for medical diagnose and treatment, thanks to join efforts by the National Health System, the Biopharmaceutical Industry and the National Metrology Service (SENAMET), among other organizations, to tackle COVID-19.

In 2000, the General Conference on Weights and Measures established World Metrology Day in commemoration of the signing of the Convention of the Metre on May 20, 1875, which marked the beginning of cooperation in the field of Metrology and laid the foundations of a consistent global system of accurate and equivalent measurements.

In their message for the Day, the directors of the International Bureau of Weights and Measures and of the International Bureau of Legal Metrology explained that since the emergence of SARS-CoV-2, new measurement requirements emerged, starting with the need for large-scale testing for the presence of the virus and the performance of personal protective equipment. Subsequently, the development of vaccines has depended on accurate identification and measurement of complex protein and RNA molecules.

They add that governments have re-focussed established science capabilities to meet the challenge of protecting their populations from the impact of the virus, and the metrology community around the globe has been involved with these new national and global challenges.

The experts mentioned the use of Metrology to develop testing methods for personal protective masks, design new ventilation systems for hospitals, identify and count virus molecules in test samples, and measure vaccine dose efficiency.

This was made possible, they said, by the existence of international standards on all kinds of medical measuring devices, including automatic blood pressure gauges, ophthalmic instruments and medical syringes.