Oleksiy Danilov: A single information-analytical center should be established in Ukraine to study infectious diseases and pathogens that cause them

A single information-analytical center should be established in Ukraine to study infectious diseases and pathogens that cause them. This was stated by Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Oleksiy Danilov during a meeting with Director of the Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics Mykhaylo Tukalo.

During the meeting, a wide range of issues was discussed regarding the course of the coronavirus pandemic worldwide and in Ukraine, the calculation of the pandemic forecast, as well as the measures taken by the Ukrainian authorities to counter Covid-19.

Mr. Danilov emphasized the importance of conducting comprehensive research on infectious diseases and pathogens that cause them in the context of ensuring the biological security of the state.

The NSDC Secretary stressed the need to coordinate the exchange of relevant information by domestic microbiological laboratories and to create a single information base to which such laboratories will have access.

In his turn, the Director of the Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics noticed that his employees are studying the spread of coronavirus infection and world experience in combating Covid-19.

He pointed out that his Institute was the first in Ukraine to develop a domestic test system for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to detect coronavirus infection. Mr. Tukalo said that the staff of the institute, having analyzed the experience of using these test systems, is ready to launch the development of new comprehensive test systems, which, according to him, should be as easy to use as possible.

The Director of the Institute stressed that it is necessary to monitor the dynamics of evolution and mutations of the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 in order to modernize the test systems for its detection.

Following the meeting, the NSDC Secretary instructed to create a working group involving specialists from government agencies and research institutes, which will study the establishment of a single information-analytical center to study infectious diseases and pathogens that cause them.

Reference: In January this year, at the instruction of Secretary of the NSDC of Ukraine Oleksiy Danilov, the Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine has begun work on creating a laboratory version of the domestic test system for diagnosing SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus which causes COVID-2019 disease.

On March 13, this year, the Decree of the President of Ukraine №87 enacted the NSDC decision of March 13, 2020, the NSDC decision of March 13, 2020 “On urgent measures to ensure national security in the event of an outbreak of acute respiratory disease COVID-19 caused by coronavirus SARS-CoV-2”. According to this decision, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine was instructed to take measures to immediately finance the production by the Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine of at least 200 000 tests for PCR diagnostics of COVID-19.