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IMR Annual Report 2020 97

COVID-19 Laboratory at IMR

The Institute for Medical Research (IMR) was on high alert from early January 2020 following the
COVID-19 outbreak in Wuhan, China. After scientists from China shared the full genomic sequences
of the coronavirus on 11th January 2020, IMR successfully developed the reverse transcriptase-
polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) diagnostic protocol, a week before it was developed by the World
Health Organisation (WHO). Subsequently, optimisation of real time RT-PCR was carried out and the
testing reagents were provided to the National Public Health Laboratory (MKAK), Sungai Buloh, to
commence diagnostic testing for COVID-19 from 24th January 2020. On 25th January 2020 the first
laboratory-confirmed case of COVID-19 was reported in Malaysia. The COVID-19 laboratory in the
IMR facility at Kuala Lumpur was later relocated to IMR Setia Alam, where it officially commenced
operations with enhanced diagnostic capacity on 5th May 2020.

The Minister of Health, Deputy Ministers Activities & Events
and the Deputy Director General (Research
& Technical Support) visiting IMR and the
COVID-19 Laboratory

Preparation of buffers, sample loading and
nucleic acid extraction using the AMTK-High-
throughput liquid handler at Biological Safety
Level 3 (BSL3) laboratory