Kyrgyzstan starts using new method that can detect coronavirus in hour

Bishkek, June 26, 2020. /Kabar/. Kyrgyzstan has started using a new method that can detect coronavirus infection COVID-19 in an hour, Deputy Health Minister Mademin Karatayev said Friday. "This is a new Genexpert method, which was previously used to detect tuberculosis and sensitivity to rifampicin. As a result of talks with international organizations, we have purchased 6,550 cartridges that can detect not only tuberculosis, but also coronavirus. It's a prototype PCR analysis. The accuracy of the tests will be 99%. It allows to test eight people within an hour. If the diagnosis of COVID-19 is confirmed, patients will be sent to hospitals, in case of clinical symptoms, they will be sent to other institutions," he said. Another 50,000 cartridges will arrive in Kyrgyzstan through the Global Fund. First of all, it will make it possible to detect the disease and secondly, to create a filter at the National Phthisiology Center. According to him, cases confirmed will be sent to the hospitals listed above, while unconfirmed cases with clinical symptoms of community-acquired pneumonia will be sent to balneal therapy. "In fact, there were problems with the lack of places in hospitals for patients with community-acquired pneumonia, but this morning the Institute of Balneology started to receive patients with community-acquired pneumonia. Over 300 beds have been organized there. Moreover, we are preparing one building of City Clinical Hospital No.1 for hospitalization and treatment of patients with community-acquired pneumonia," the deputy minister added.