Arweiniodd Dr Catherine Moore, Gwyddonydd Clinigol Ymgynghorol, yr ymdrech i gael profion COVID-19 yng Nghymru o fewn mis iddo gael ei gydnabod fel coronafeirws newydd. Arweiniodd hyn at labordy microbioleg Iechyd Cyhoeddus Cymru yn Ysbyty Athrofaol Cymru, Caerdydd, yn dod yn ail yn y DU i allu profi am y feirws. Roedd Dr Moore yn cydnabod arwyddocâd COVID-19 ac yn sicrhau samplau cynnar i’w hastudio cyn i unrhyw achos gael ei adrodd yn y DU. Gan weithio gyda chydweithwyr, helpodd i sicrhau bod Cymru’n dechrau dilyniannodi’r feirws ddechrau mis Mawrth – ddiwrnodau ar ôl i’r achos cyntaf gael ei gadarnhau yn y wlad. Mae hyn wedi golygu bod Cymru wedi cyflwyno’r drydedd nifer fwyaf o achosion wedi’u dilyniannodi i gronfa ddata fyd-eang, gan ddarparu gwybodaeth am nodweddion COVID-19 a’i ledaeniad.
Dr Catherine Moore, a Consultant Clinical Scientist, led the effort to establish COVID-19 testing in Wales within a month of it being recognised as a new coronavirus. This resulted in the Public Health Wales microbiology laboratory at the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff becoming the second in the UK to be able to test for the virus. Dr Moore recognised the significance of COVID-19 and secured early samples to study before any case had been reported in the UK. Working with colleagues, she helped ensure that Wales started sequencing the virus in early March – days after the first confirmed case in the country. This has resulted in Wales having submitted the third largest number of sequenced cases to a global database, providing information about the characteristics of COVID-19 and its spread.