In the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, one of the problems faced is the lack of VTM (viral transport medium). Several orders placed by several competent parties never arrived.
Seeing this condition, the Faculty of Pharmacy, Gadjah Mada University held a VTM procurement program to support testing for the Covid-19 virus. This viral transport medium (VTM) is a medium for carrying specimens of nasal and throat mucus for patients who were subjected to a swab test, to be sent to the laboratory for further testing.
Patients who are suspected of being infected with SARS-CoV2, the virus that causes Covid-19, are tested by taking specimens of the nose and throat mucus and then continued with the PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) test. Positive results through the rapid test version need to be further confirmed with this PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) swab test.
“The PCR swab test is a test with relatively the most valid results for diagnosing SARS-CoV2 infection, the virus that causes Covid-19. So far, two laboratories at UGM can be used to detect Covid-19,” said Ika Puspitasari, Ph.D, Chair of the Pharmacist Professional Study Program, Wednesday (15/4).
Seeing this phenomenon, researchers and laboratory assistants, as well as UGM Faculty of Pharmacy staff took the initiative to hold a VTM procurement program to support PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) swab testing for the Covid-19 virus. The manufacturing is carried out at the Advanced Pharmaceutical Sciences (APS) Laboratory of the UGM Faculty of Pharmacy.
“This VTM was made at the UGM Faculty of Pharmacy to meet the needs of VTM in several PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) swab testing laboratories which have been buying ready-to-use VTM, but recently orders have not arrived and the price is expensive,” he said.
Dr. Riris Istighfari Jenie, Lecturer at the Macromolecule Engineering Lab at the Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, UGM Faculty of Pharmacy, explained that the manufacture of VTM refers to the American Centers for Disease Control and Prevention protocol. Making it requires several tools, including biosafety cabinet, water bath, and sterile filter size from 0.20-0.45 microns. While the ingredients uses Fetal Bovine Serum (FBS) which is then heat inactivated, Hanks Balanced Salt Solution (HBSS), gentamicin sulfate, and amphotericin B.
Briefly, the procedure for making VTM includes inactivating FBS in a water bath for antibiotic preparation by mixing the two antibiotics above, and mixing the prepared ingredients into the HBSS buffer. Storage of VTM preparations is at a temperature of 2-8 ° C. Riris hopes that the procurement of raw materials for making VTM can be made easier or get priority considering that some materials are ordered from Jakarta.
“Hopefully there are no obstacles to this program of activity, considering that Jakarta and several regions are currently implementing the PSBB so that we imagine it will slow down the process of procuring these raw materials,” he said.
Deputy Dean for Research, Community Service, Cooperation and Alumni of the UGM Faculty of Pharmacy, Dr. rer. nat. Endang Lukitaningsih, added that this program is focused on these weeks to meet the needs of VTM in the testing laboratory. Therefore, in this VTM procurement activity, the Faculty of Pharmacy UGM involves lecturers and educational staff who have the competence and expertise for it.
