FEB. 18, 2020

Science Ministry and scientific community support plan of action regarding Coronavirus

Minister Andrés Couve announced that he will activate a network of researchers throughout Chile to support plans to respond to illnesses caused by emerging viruses.

At La Moneda Palace, Science Minister Andrés Couve and Northern Macrozone Regional Science Minister and virologist Margarita Lay met with members of the Chilean Society for Microbiology and the Molecular Biology and Biochemistry Society to address the international emergency related to Covid-19.
Following the meeting, which also featured the participation of Health Ministry representatives, Minister Couve spoke about the role that the scientific community can play in strengthening the surveillance network and highlighted the importance of disseminating quality information about Coronavirus and the situation of the contagion, “which is mainly contained in China and has not yet reached Chile.”

“We will support the Health Ministry’s plan with dissemination measures based on evidence, ensuring that all information shared is high quality and rigorous and comes from national and international scientific communities,” Minister Couve remarked. He also noted that “it is important to reassure the public that Chile has the diagnostic capabilities to respond to this emerging virus.”

The official explained that the Science Ministry will also consider conducting a survey and establishing a network of laboratories that are certified to diagnose emerging viruses in order to promote research on and development of vaccines and treatments and to complement our diagnostic capabilities in a collaborative manner.

“We want to organize a network of researchers throughout Chile that will allow us to improve our responses to emerging viruses. Chile has the research capacity to complement the Health Ministry’s response capacity to address a new virus like Coronavirus. We have cutting-edge research in the fields of immunology and virology, and that research is being conducted in close collaboration with international laboratories.”

In regard to this coordination effort, Chilean Microbiology Society Vice President Fernando Valiente stated “we want to let the public know that they need not worry, and that as scientists we have full capacity to address an increase in diagnostic needs and to support the Public Health Institute (ISP) if the virus reaches our country. Coronavirus is quite contagious, but the mortality rate is quite low compared to other viruses like influenza.”