TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The team of developers behind the Covid-19 detection equipment, GeNose, is attempting to obtain a production permit from the Health Ministry. It is also eyeing to have the Covid-19 detector created by experts at the Gadjah Mada University (UGM) acknowledged by the World Health Organization (WHO).

“We have currently proposed it to be acknowledged by the WHO. We will not stop at the national level,” said the head GeNose UGM development team, Kuwat Triyana, on December 28.

According to Kuwat, the legal acknowledgment from WHO and the Indonesian Health Ministry are important to establish a strong foothold on the accessibility of the device’s use, especially for mass purposes.

The testing method has obtained a production permit from the Health Ministry but is eyeing for a larger goal of having it be included in the Covid-19 detection ecosystem. Kuwat viewed it would provide an option to the current rapid testing alternatives that have somewhat monopolized the Covid-19 rapid testing scene.

“As of now, there may be people who cannot afford or access rapid testing despite this phase being needed prior to taking PCR tests,” he said. “Through GeNose, doctors will be able to recommend alternative rapid testing methods that are cheaper but still valid.”

Kuwait states GeNose, which incorporates artificial intelligence technology, will be developed into a more accurate system as the AI learns and improves from constant sample testing. The testing device has been tested for 2,000 samples in eight Covid-19 hospitals in Yogyakarta and Central Java.

He boldly claims the device has 93-95 percent accuracy towards a PCR-based system.

Read: Govt Pushing for the Use of GeNose, RT-LAMP COVID-19 Detection Devices

PRIBADI WICAKSONO