London: During this global pandemic, an instant COVID-19 test will be a shot in the arm for low and middle-income countries. This will dramatically expand the capacity to diagnose cases in these countries, the World Health Organization (WHO) said.
The $5 (£3.80) test could transform tracking of COVID-19 in countries which are less wealthy and have shortages of healthcare workers and laboratories.
A contract with manufacturers will pave way for 120 million tests in six months.
The WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called it a major milestone.
Long gaps between taking a test and getting the result have hampered several countries’ efforts to curb the spread of the deadly virus.
Experts have stated that low testing rates are disguising the true spread of their outbreaks in countries like India and Mexico, which have high infection rates.
The “new, highly portable and easy-to-use test” will yield results in 15-30 minutes instead of hours or days, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a news conference on Monday.
“This is a vital addition to their testing capacity and especially important in areas of high transmission,” Dr Tedros was quoted as saying by the BBC.
“This will enable the expansion of testing, particularly in hard-to-reach areas that do not have laboratory facilities or enough trained health workers to carry out tests,” he added.
Bargarh: A new artist will be selected to play the mythological character King Kansa during…
Mumbai: Suhana Khan will be making her Bollywood debut with ‘King’ along with her superstar…
New Delhi: After Diljit Dosanjh called out the double standards of Telangana government for banning…
New Delhi: Recent actions and counter-actions in the Russia-Ukraine conflict have pushed the world to the…
Balangir: Three persons were arrested and fake IPS officers’ uniforms along with fake identity cards…
Mumbai: Abhishek Bachchan’s highly-anticipated film ‘I Want To Talk’ released in theatres on Friday, and the…
New Delhi: Accused of giving cash to secure votes ahead of election day in Maharashtra,…
Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi attended the ‘Odisha State Day Celebrations’ at the 43rd…