OVER the past year, scientists across the world have been racing to find a solution to the Covid-19 pandemic. Malaysian researchers too, are doing their part to help counter the spread of the coronavirus. In April, UK-based Malaysian surgeon Dr Nur Amalina Che Bakri was chosen to be part of the United Kingdom’s first Covid-19 vaccine trial team. Researchers from our local universities are also working on the development of a Covid-19 vaccine which is still in its early stages. In November, prominent Malaysian virologist Emeritus Prof Datuk Dr Lam Sai Kit joined The Lancet Covid-19 Commission probing the origin of the coronavirus.
Quicker, more convenient Covid-19 tests
Public Service Department scholar and Oxford university student Lim Boon Chuan is doing his part in the fight against the pandemic by contributing to the development of a Covid-19 test kit that is accessible and provides quick results.
The 26-year-old doctoral candidate (DPhil) in synthetic biology is one of the founding research members in the team of Oxford University scientists led by Professors Wei Huang and Zhanfeng Cui. The Covid-19 rapid test kit developed by Lim and team shortens the entire testing process from two to three days, which includes sample collection, sample delivery, sample preparation and viral nucleic acid detection, down to a mere 45 minutes.
Developing the diagnostic kit is actually a side-project for Lim, whose main area of study is cancer research. Nevertheless, Lim spends an average of eight to 10 hours a day working on the project. Today, a social enterprise company has been set up by the university to commercialise the diagnostic kit, which is being used in London’s main Heathrow airport, several other airports in the United Kingdom and also being trialled at Hong Kong International Airport.
“We are trying to come up with a better product, and there is always room for improvement. But I am also still a student and I am aiming to graduate by next year so my time is hard to arrange at the moment, ” he tells Sunday Star in a phone interview.
Lim plays down his role in the project, insisting that it is just part of his job, and considers himself fortunate to be given the chance to work on the diagnostic kit.
“I’m very grateful for the opportunity to work on such a project and being able to contribute in a scenario like this. I am very lucky to be put in this position as a lot of other people in my shoes – PhD students in the same field as me – would also be able to do this work, ” he says.
When asked about the potential financial gains from this project, Lim explains that the time he devotes to developing the test kit is more for public benefit.
“This is a social enterprise and the nature of a social enterprise is not to earn a lot of money. It provides me with some pocket money but at the end of the day we are not doing this for profit, ” he says, adding that the earnings are mainly to cover operational costs.
All of us have our roles to play and the best way for members of the public to support healthcare workers is by keeping to the mandated standard operating procedure (SOP).
“The best thing to do is to stick to the rules. If you are under quarantine, then keep in quarantine. If you’re not supposed to go out, don’t go out. Take care of your personal hygiene, wash your hands frequently and wear a mask.”
And very importantly, we should have empathy for those around us.
“Look around if there are local shops that we can help. As members of the public, we only have to do small things to help with big issues. Take care of our own responsibilities, set a good example, and be kind, ” he says.
Investigating the impacts of Covid-19 on vital organs
Oxford University Associate Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine Dr Masliza Mahmod, 48, is also utilising her expertise to help us better understand, and combat, Covid-19
Dr Masliza is part of the university research team studying the effects of Covid-19 on multiple organs. The team, led by Dr Betty Raman and Prof Stefan Neubauer, comprises many specialists across the United Kingdom and Dr Masliza is contributing her knowledge as a cardiologist.
“We know that with Covid-19, people have difficulty breathing and the virus can be fatal but we also want to know how it affects different organs, and to what extent – the lungs, brain, heart, kidney, liver and so on, ” she tells Sunday Star in a video interview.
“We want to know which are the organs most affected and at the same time we want to know what are the long term effects that Covid-19 has on these organs.”
Dr Masliza explains that the research carried out on the effects of Covid-19 on major organs can help in terms of future care and treatment.
“If we know how Covid-19 can affect the lungs or brain, we will also know how to tailor the treatment to patients. If the virus has long-term impacts on a certain organ, doctors will know to have longer follow ups and be able to better monitor the patient, ” she says, adding that the study is nearly complete and is in the pipelines for publication.
Furthermore, once we understand how the virus affects different parts of the body, we will be better prepared in the event of future outbreaks.
Working in Covid-19 research can be mentally and emotionally tiring, but there are also uplifting and encouraging instances. For Dr Masliza, the most rewarding aspect of her work is seeing the selflessness displayed by volunteers.
“Many former Covid-19 patients volunteered to provide help with the research. I was touched by their gesture. The fact that they were sick before, some hospitalised and incubated, and yet they still came back to the hospital to help with our research after only weeks of recovering, ” says Dr Masliza.
Moving forward, Dr Masliza and her team at Oxford have written a proposal for a grant application, in collaboration with National Heart Institute (IJN) consultants Dr Rafidah Abu Bakar and Datuk Dr Suhaini Kadiman, to look into the effects of Covid-19 on Malaysia’s multiracial population.
“I am involved with Covid-19 research here in Oxford and I would like to extend the study to Malaysia looking into our country’s multiracial population. We know that Covid-19 affects ethnic groups differently, for example in the United Kingdom there are more Covid-19 patients from minority ethnicities compared to the White community, ” she says.
“In just one country, we can study many different ethnic groups – that is Malaysia’s strength. Malaysia is a very interesting country, rich in culture with a lot of resources and data. People do not realise that there is a lot of knowledge that can be obtained from Malaysia.”
She hopes to combine the results from Malaysia to the existing study to produce a more comprehensive understanding of the virus. However, funding and time is a hurdle.
“Because time is of the essence, we cannot wait long to conduct the study because otherwise we will miss the boat, ” says Dr Masliza.
One way that we can help scientists discover more information about this deadly virus is by volunteering with ongoing research. “I think it is important to be aware that there are a lot of things we do not know about this virus, and that a lot of new knowledge depends on research and patients. It will be very helpful for former patients to volunteer and come forward to help with research. If we get the grant to bring the study to Malaysia, I hope that former Covid-19 patients will volunteer to help us, ” says Dr Masliza.
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