Havana, Cuba.- The President of Cuba, Miguel Díaz-Canel, has highlighted the role of science in the fight against Covid-19, during a meeting with representatives of the country’s scientific institutions.

The president stressed what has been achieved so far validates the application of the scientific method to face contingencies, since what has been done ‘will give a tremendous contribution in terms of more efficiency’ in actions to counter the pandemic.

The contribution of modulating the behavior of the disease, designed by national specialists, to decision-making and its subsequent evaluation was recognized at the meeting.

In the exchange, it was announced that up to now the behavior of the curve that shows infections is below the expected average scenario, reflecting the positive effect of the measures adopted.

The first results of the virtual researcher carried out by the University of Computer Sciences (UCI) and the ministries of Health and Communications were also shared, which in less than 24 hours was used by 11,237 people.

The vice-rector of the UCI, Raydel Montesino, said that 61 declared to be contacts of someone confirmed as positive for SARS CoV-2, which allows health departments to act to attend suspects of infection.

Another important impact will be the serological diagnostic test in which experts presently work, and which uses the Ultra Microanalytical System (Sum), of national manufacture, which will facilitate the massive search for positive cases in the population.

Among the advantages of this test are being able to use the network of laboratories for this technology available in the country and also having the ability to improve it, as it is its own creation.

The manufacture of protection means and the repair of ventilators necessary in intensive care were other contributions from the scientific community, for which various institutions and even private sector workers joined.

‘This is a collective endeavor,’ emphasized the director of the Cuban Neuroscience Center, Mitchell Valdés, who added that this not only helps to meet the needs of the island, but would also make it possible to contribute to other countries.