Cuban antigen detection system culminates evaluation and external validation process

HAVANA, Cuba, Mar 10 (ACN) The Cuban Umelisa SARS COV-2 IgG system for the diagnosis of COVID-19, culminated its evaluation and external validation process with very good results at the Pedro Kourí Institute of Tropical Medicine (IPK) and at the Research, Diagnosis and Reference Center.

This prototype, created by the Center for Immunoassay (CIE) in this capital, based on the Suma technology (Ultramicroanalytical System), will support the diagnosis of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, as well as the follow-up of evolving cases from the fifth day after the first PCR is performed, publishes the Center itself on its official Twitter profile.

"The UMELISA that detects antigen culminated its external evaluation with very good results in @IPKCuba, Center for Research, Diagnosis and Reference. It recommends its introduction to support the diagnosis of SARS CoV-2 and the follow-up of the evolutionary to the 5th day of the 1st PCR", tweeted the scientific entity.
In the same social network, Dr. Niurka Carlos Pías, general director of the ICN, expressed the happiness of the staff for this achievement and reiterated its commitment to continue working for the eradication of this pandemic.

"There are many other commitments and challenges, we still have a long way to go but today we are happy, we accomplished a task that we owed to our country. Congratulations to our scientists who worked tirelessly. Grateful to @IPKCuba who carried out the evaluation and validated it," wrote the directive.

The system has the advantage of being able to be applied in massive surveys of the disease, together with the results of other laboratory tests, in addition to being able to undertake epidemiological studies aimed at knowing the degree of exposure to the virus that a certain population group has had.

This equipment was obtained by a group of researchers from the CIE, belonging to the BioCubaFarma business group, with the collaboration of the Ministry of Public Health and the Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (CIGB).
The SUMA technology has also played a key role in the early diagnosis of congenital hypothyroidism in all Cuban infants born after 1986, as well as in epidemiological surveillance programs, certification of blood and organs for transplants, in addition to the control of chronic diseases.