x

Coronavirus: WHO equips 168 labs globally with diagnosis capacity

The World Health Organisation (WHO) says it has identified 168 labs around the world with the right technology to diagnose coronavirus.

This is part of WHO’s efforts at equiping laboratories with the capacity to rapidly diagnose novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) cases as part of its preparedness to tackle the outbreak globally.

Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, disclosed this on Monday during his daily media briefing on 2019-nCoV update.

“We have sent kits to Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, DRC, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Iran, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, Tunisia, Uganda and Zambia.

“Many of those countries have already started using them,” the WHO director-general said.

According to him, another shipment of 150,000 tests is being assembled in Berlin and destined for more than 80 labs in all regions.

He noted that last week, the African Centre for Disease Control conducted a training in Senegal with 12 countries, using tests sent by WHO, adding that further training would take place in South Africa next week.

Ghebreyesus averred that WHO would continue working with all countries to prevent and detect rapidly new cases of coronavirus and to save lives.

According to him, as of 6 a.m. Geneva time on Feb. 10, there were 40,235 confirmed cases in China and 909 deaths.

He disclosed that outside China, there were 319 cases in 24 countries, with one death.

“The overall pattern has not changed. 99 per cent of reported cases are in China, and most cases are mild. About 2 per cent of cases are fatal which of course is still too many.

“A lot of people are asking, where is the outbreak going? Is it getting better, is it getting worse?

“We are doing several things to answer those questions,” he said.

He said that the meeting on research and innovation starting on Feb.11 would identify some of those questions and chart a path forward.

Furthermore, Ghebreyesus said that an advance team of WHO experts led by Dr Bruce Aylward, Assistant Director-General for Polio, Emergencies and Country Collaboration, had arrived in China to lay the groundwork for the larger international team.

“Bruce and his colleagues will be working with their Chinese counterparts to make sure we have the right expertise on the team to answer the right questions,” he said.

Ghebreyesus said that without vital diagnostic capacity, countries would be oblivious as to how far and wide the virus has spread, and who has coronavirus or another disease with similar symptoms.

“In recent days we have seen some concerning instances of onward transmission from people with no travel history to China, like the cases reported in France yesterday and the UK today.

“The detection of this small number of cases could be the spark that becomes a bigger fire.

“But for now, it is only a spark. Our objective remains containment. We call on all countries to use the window of opportunity we have to prevent a bigger fire,”he said.

Ghebreyesus expressed gratitude to all the people who had volunteered their expertise from all over the world to fight the 2019-nCoV outbreak. (NAN)

Hot this week

Editors Urge Government To Create Safe, Enabling Environment For Journalists

· Ask security agents to find missing Vanguard journalist As...

EXCLUSIVE: Buhari orders probe of Isa Funtua, AMCON over keystone and Etisalat

Following the controversy generated by the leading opposition party,...

6 Signs your boyfriend thinks you are ugly -Take note of No. 2

They say there are three kinds of people; the...

2023: South-East, Middle Belt Forum Endorses Peter Obi

The South-East and Middle Belt Forum has endorsed the...

Abuja Road construction: Guzape, Kpaduma Residents Will Be Fully Compensated – Wike

By Joyce Remi-Babayeju The FCT Minister Barr Nysome Wike has...

mass Defection Hits Sokoto Pdp as Business Wing Joins Apc

By Muhammad Ibrahim, Sokoto  A significant blow to the Peoples...

world Bank Team Hails Sokoto L-pres Execution

The World Bank’s Third-Party Monitoring Team has commended the...

Youths Protest  Over Land Grabbing In Delta Community

By Anne Azuka  Youths from Ogbe-Akwu community in Ogwashi-Uku Kingdom...

Gov. Ododo Flags Off the Construction of  7.2 Idah Township Road

By Noah Ocheni, Lokoja Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Ahmed Usman...

Plateau Gives 72-Hour Ultimatum to Jos Motorcyclists

By Israel Adamu, Jos   Plateau State Government has raised alarm...

mutfwang’s Envoy Seeks Bank Partnership

By Israel Adamu, Jos   Special Envoy on Peace and Security...

Youths Protest  Over Land Grabbing In Delta Community

By Anne Azuka  In a powerful show of unity and...
spot_img

Related Articles

Popular Categories

spot_imgspot_img