Indonesia Affirms Capability to Detect Novel Coronavirus Spread
Translator
Ricky Mohammad Nugraha
Editor
Petir Garda Bhwana
Selasa, 11 Februari 2020 08:06 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Health Ministry’s head of research and development, Siswanto, asserts that the ministry’s R&D laboratory is equipped with the necessary manpower and tools to detect the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV).
“I would like to add that our laboratory, which is deemed the national referral lab for infectious diseases, is able to do just that [detect coronavirus transmittals],” said Siswanto on Monday, February 10.
“I would only like to address recent news that doubted our abilities. We are able and experienced with the bird flu and MERS CoV,” he said.
He added that the ministry’s lab is experienced in detecting emerging diseases in the past, such as the H5N1 ‘bird flu’, H1N1 pandemic, SARS, and the MERS CoV. The lab is equipped with a next-generation sequencing (NGS) machine to conduct genome sequences.
Siswanto asserts that new emerging viruses are tested under a biomolecular approach from its genome under a PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) and would at least need one day to determine the type of virus that was tested.
FRISKI RIANA
