Havana, May 8 (RHC)-- In Havana, the Centro de InmunoEnsayo (CIE) has completed the development stage of the UMELISA SARS-CoV-2 diagnostics, a reagent for SUMA technology that would be capable of detecting the virus in a greater number of people, using 100 percent Cuban methods.

Rebeca Gonzalez Fernandez, institutional communicator of the center and specialist of the vice-directorate of investigations, explained to the Cuban News Agency that since the beginning of the pandemic, they are working to put the SUMA technology in function of the current health crisis.

The network of SUMA laboratories is in all the municipalities of the country, and this allows a greater amount of the researched population, putting emphasis on those that could have the disease, but continue to be asymptomatic.

After completing the development stage, tests will be carried out to comply with the protocol established by the State Center for the Control of Medicines and Medical Equipment, which is responsible for registration.

Subsequently, a stage of production, distribution and training of the network of laboratories will be carried out, although, according to González Fernández, the technicians have vast experience with SUMA technology, since it has been used in Cuba since the 1980s.

The introduction of new SUMA technology diagnostics is not an unknown process for the ICD.  For example, in 2019, the diagnosis of cystic fibrosis was added to the neonatal screen.

Having its own technology in Cuba for the detection of the new virus that affects almost all the nations of the world guarantees sovereignty, lower production costs and reduces the import and foreign purchases of products that are currently in high demand.

In order to obtain the diagnostics, the CIE (an institution belonging to the BioCubaFarma group) has had the constant support of the Ministry of Public Health and other institutions of the Business Group, which have made all the necessary arrangements for its production.