South Korea okays single test for COVID-19 and flu
04 November, 2020
Health officials in South Korea have approved a new test that is designed to discover both COVID-19 and seasonal influenza from the same samples, which would help prevent disruption at hospitals as the pandemic stretches in to the flu season.
The country has struggled to stem the spread of the coronavirus, which some professionals say could spread more broadly during cold weather when people spend more time indoors.
The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency on Wednesday (Nov 4) reported 118 new cases of COVID-19, almost all of them in the densely populated Seoul metropolitan area. The national caseload is currently at 26,925, including 474 deaths.
Folks have been increasingly venturing out in public areas following the government eased social distancing restrictions last month to aid a weak economy.
"Despite efforts by health authorities to trace contacts and suppress transmissions, such efforts have already been outpaced by the speed of viral spread," senior Health Ministry official Yoon Taeho said during a virus briefing.
The brand new test, which targets genes that are specific to both COVID-19 and seasonal flu, can be an evolved version of PCR tests that are used to detect COVID-19 from samples taken from noses or throats. Laboratories use machines to amplify genetic materials in order that even tiny levels of the virus could be detected.
The illnesses are hard to differentiate by their symptoms, so having a diagnosis for both in three to six hours "would be convenient for patients and in addition reduce the burden of medical workers", Yoon said.
Source:
TAG(s):