There is optimism that something good is about to come from Senegal, Africa in relation to coronavirus which is threatening the world and currently recognized as a pandemic. This is because innovators from the African country are now assisting the United Kingdom with the creation of the fastest testing kits that could detect the virus in an individual within 10 minutes. The world is held in surprise at the way the virus spreads with cases now above 120,000.
Mologic, a British biotech firm, is partnering with the Institut Pasteur de Dakar, for the manufacturing of the testing devices which will be done at DiaTropix, which Quartz described as “a new custom-built facility for epidemics-related innovation, in Dakar, Senegal.”
he report said the creation of the test kits is to be facilitated partly with a 1 million pounds grant to Mologic, which is a British organisation. The amount is part of the £46 million (N21,163,542,000) fund for UK meant for the prevention of coronavirus and research into it. The testing kit, which manufacturing would commence in June 2020, is said to be designed as a hand-held device. Mologic, on the one hand, is an organisation that previously produced similar test kits for diseases like Ebola, measles and yellow fever.
This may be a reason it is trusted to produce prototypes of its coronavirus test kit which would then be validated by some specialists. Those billed to validate the test kits are in the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, the University of London, the Wuhan Institute of Virology, the University of Malaya, Malaysia and Fiocruz in Brazil. Once it is approved, it means the world would have a faster means to detect the virus.
Currently, testing for the virus takes a bit longer and it is complex. It includes a throat swab, taking samples to dedicated centers and laboratories and spending many hours waiting for results.
It is believed that the slow method of testing and diagnosing the virus adds to its spread. The report says Africa had been proactive in setting up testing capabilities. Despite this commendation, Legit.ng reported earlier that there are fears that Nigeria could record more cases in the next two weeks.
Source: Legit.ng