Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long speaks at the meeting of the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control in Hanoi on February 24. (Photo: VNA)Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam has full capacity and enough kits to performdiagnostic tests for the virus SARS-CoV2 that causes COVID-19, said Deputy Minister of Health NguyenThanh Long in a meeting on February 24.
The countrynow has 10,000 test kits provided by the World Health Organisation (WHO) withthe accuracy similar to those in other countries, he told a meeting of the national steering committee for COVID-19 prevention and control in Hanoi.
The test kitinvolves real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) soit is highly sensitive and effective, he said.
WHO hastransferred standard technique for detecting the novel coronavirus for threequalified medical facilities in Vietnam – the Pasteur Institute of Ho Chi MinhCity, the Pasteur Institute of Nha Trang and the Central Institute of Hygieneand Epidemiology in Hanoi, according to the deputy minister.
Thesefacilities then have cooperated with WHO to transfer the technique and requiredequipment to 22 medical laboratories, whose staff has also received relevant training. The labsare now capable of producing reliable test results, he said.
Regarding a12-grade schoolgirl in Phu Loc, Thua Thien-Hue who died after suffering aweek-long fever, cough and shortness of breath, the symptoms similar to thoseof the COVID-19, Deputy Minister Long said her body fluid tested negative with SARS-CoV2 by the Hue Central Hospital and theresult was confirmed in the second testing by the Pasteur Institute of Ho ChiMinh City.
He noted thatin some special cases, the Ministry of Health will request tests to beperformed by at least two facilities to ensure the accuracy./.
VNA
