Low-price coronavirus diagnostic kit

LAHORE:A team of Punjab University (PU) has developed a low-price diagnostic kit to test suspected coronavirus patients and the cost of one test would be around 5 US dollars or Rs 800 only.

Prof Dr Muhammad Idrees from PU Centre of Excellence in Molecular Biology (CEMB) who is a renowned virologist and former vice chancellor of University of Hazara and who is heading the team said that development of the kit was not a big job for a scientist however now the government would be able to get diagnostic kits from its own department.

He said the laboratory where the test of coronavirus suspect was being tested should match BSL 3 standard so that lab staff and others could not be affected and spread of virus could be controlled. He said on availability of some basic ingredients, the team could develop thousands of kits within a week for the government.

In his message, PU VC Prof Niaz Ahmad said CEMB would conduct tests of coronavirus suspects free-of-cost so that relief could be given to people at large. He said this was the role of universities to resolve the problems being faced by society and country and PU would play its role to cope with this menace in this critical time as well.