This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily on April 13, 2020

KUALA LUMPUR: The ministry of health (MoH) said rapid test kits from the US are currently being evaluated but noted that there are some issues in terms of production as it requires materials from Taiwan.

Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the test kits can be manufactured locally, but the reagent required has to be imported from Taiwan.

“We will need to get in touch with Taiwan to obtain the reagent as well as the US’ approval,” he said.

Meanwhile, he said Malaysia had yet to find a reliable test kit, adding that several test kits from South Korea are still being evaluated.

He said the kits are being evaluated based on the accuracy of their results, the turnaround time of the tests and the mobility of the test kits — for use at clinics and points of care.

On the sanitising tunnels which have been developed by several parties, Noor Hisham said there had yet to be any solid evidence that the devices are actually effective.

“There has been no scientific or clinical evidence to support claims that the sanitising tunnels are effective.

“However, the ministry, through the CRC (Clinical Research Centre) and CRM (Clinical Research Malaysia), is currently evaluating the effectiveness of the sanitising tunnels,” he said.

On the usage of the blood plasma of cured individuals for the treatment of other patients, Noor Hisham said there had been 12 individuals coming forward to be donors.

“The studies being done now are still in their early stages. It might take some time before we can find evidence to support this method of treatment,” he said.

He reiterated that it may take about a year before a vaccine can be developed against  Covid-19, noting that international bodies are working hard for a cure.