National Medical Institute of the Ministry of the Interior and Administration

On June 29th, 2023, a press conference was held to highlight the remarkable scientific achievement of developing a diagnostic test that assesses the risk of severe COVID-19 infection. The research was conducted by a team of researchers from the National Medical Institute of the Ministry of the Interior and Administration (PIM MSWiA).

The speakers at the conference included Professor Waldemar Wierzba, MD, PhD - the Director of the National Medical Institute of the Ministry of the Interior and Administration (PIM MSWiA) and at the same time the Principal Investigator in the project – and members of the research team: the Associate Professor of the Polish Academy of Sciences (PAN) Agnieszka Pawlak, MD, PhD, who is the Head of the Clinical Research Support Centre of the PIM MSWiA, Professor Robert Gil, MD, PhD, who is the Head of the Clinical Department of Cardiology (CRSC) of the PIM MSWiA, and Marzena Wojtaszewska, MD, PhD, and Artur Zaczyński, MD, PhD, who is the Deputy Medical Director of the PIM MSWiA.

During their speeches and lectures, the speakers covered various topics, such as the rapid diagnostic tests and their clinical relevance, the significance and prevalence of viral infection risks, the development of an innovative diagnostic test for the assessment of COVID-19 progression and post-disease complications using whole-genome analysis, clinical implementations, and the mechanism of action of the developed test.

Importantly, the test developed at the PIM MSWiA assesses the risk of severe COVID-19 infection in both healthy individuals and those already infected with the SARS-COV-2 virus. By utilizing the PCR method and targeting two specific genes, the test was designed with the aim of swiftly and effortlessly identifying individuals predisposed to severe COVID-19 disease and predicting the progression of the disease in those who are already infected.

„I firmly believe that these tests, particularly when administered to high-risk groups or individuals with specific medical conditions, will play a vital role in diagnosing patients and safeguarding them against the development of severe manifestations of the disease," expressed Professor Robert Gil, MD, PhD, the Head of the Clinical Department of Cardiology of the PIM MSWiA.

"At present, I have 10,000 tests stored in the refrigerator. Today, they will be promptly deployed for use in the Emergency Department and the Clinical Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care. This undertaking has demanded significant effort, and we have obtained approval from the President of the Office for Registration of Medicinal Products, Medical Devices, and Biocidal Products for 10 million tests, currently valid for one year," has informed Professor Waldemar Wierzba, MD, PhD, the Director of the National Medical Institute of the Ministry of the Interior and Administration.

The research was funded by the National Center for Research and Development (NCBiR) and drew on the pandemic experience of the Central Clinical Hospital of the Ministry of Interior and Administration (the name of the PIM MSWiA before its transformation in January 2023), particularly when it functioned as an infectious disease hospital.

Currently, the diagnostic test is intended for use exclusively by medical personnel in closed units, ensuring its safe utilization.