The world of Tzu Chi June 2020 (Vol.123)

2020 • 06 18 eature O n May 11, 2020, Tzu Chi University (TCU), Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital and Taiwan-based research institute Academia Sinica announced a successful collaboration in developing a Covid-19 detection kit based on a patient’s IgM/IgG immune responses. Only a very small amount of a patient’s blood is necessary to confirm their Covid-19 infection history within ten minutes. During the early phase of the Covid-19 pandemic, Academia Sinica President, Prof. James C. Liao immediately initiated a special task force within the country, dubbed the “Covid-19 Cooperation Platform”, comprising of several academic research institutions across Taiwan. The constituent organizations met regularly to report on their research progress. TCU and Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital are among the member institutions of the Covid-19 Cooperation Platform and are actively involved in the development of the Covid-19 detection kit. The outcome of this collaboration is derived from the collective expertise of the member institutions and contributes to the growing body of knowledge on Covid-19 detection strategies. High-accuracy testing to identify infection history According to Prof. Dr. Huang Shun- ping, Director of the TCU Office of Research and Development, upon initial exposure to the virus infection, specific IgM antibodies will be developed within days and last for weeks, before Relentless efforts in vaccine development Source: Tzu Chi University website, Waves of Kindness 《岛屿善潮》 Tzu Chi University has joined forces with Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital and Taiwan-based research institute Academia Sinica to develop a Covid-19 detection kit that produces results within ten minutes, with an accuracy level of 94 percent, an innovative breakthrough in Covid-19 research. subsiding and giving way to more persistent IgG antibodies around the third week. The detection kit is therefore able to disclose the infection history of a patient. Fourteen clinical samples from confirmed cases and three samples from regular medical checkups had been examined by using the detection kit, culminating in accuracy, specificity and sensitivity levels of 94 percent, 100 percent and 93 percent respectively. Taiwan has recorded zero new Covid-19 infections for the sixth consecutive week, owing to the efforts of both the citizens and the government’s infection control team, as highlighted by Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital Superintendent Dr. Chao You-chen: “Taiwan has managed to keep the first wave of infections under control, but it’s imperative to devise a quick and efficient way to enable us to check if we’re safe from the virus in an era of constant mobility. The detection kit is a means to safeguard the health of the public.” He also stressed the need for convenient and accessible testing methods to be made available in less-developed corners of the world that are lacking in healthcare facilities, as well as leveraging on Tzu Chi’s international network of volunteers to deliver the detection kits to those in need. Cross-border cooperation in developing Ebola vaccine In early 2013, West Africa was ravaged by a deadly Ebola outbreak, causing a public