UP calls for PPE donations for scientists decoding COVID-19 samples

The University of the Philippines (UP) is calling for donations of personal protective equipment (PPE) for the scientists handling the sequencing of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) samples.

In a statement on Monday, the university said that its Philippine Genome Center (PGC) laboratories are "tasked to handle the sequencing of COVID-19 samples for the next two weeks, in coordination with the health workers from UP Manila National Institutes of Health, to provide our scientists with crucial scientific information to mitigate the spread of the disease."

The PGC is a genomics-focused multidisciplinary research unit under UP's Office of the Vice President of Academic Affairs.

"In our effort to continually protect the PGC skeletal work force during this national health emergency, we will accept PPE donations, such as N95 masks, surgical masks, disposable impermeable laboratory gowns and caps, face shields, and shoe covers to replenish our supplies," the university said in a Facebook post.

Last month, the UP National Institutes of Health announced that it has developed a test kit for COVID-19.

READ: How the UP-developed COVID-19 test kits will be used

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the use of the test kit earlier this March, saying that it can yield results in less than two hours, compared to the Japan-developed testing tool that has a running time of 24 hours.

It also costs less than P1,500, cheaper compared with the imported kit priced that costs P20,000 to P30,000.

—JCB, GMA News