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Udupi Covid lab all set for testing


Mangalore Today News Network

Udupi, July 09, 2020:     The state-owned laboratory set up at a total cost of Rs 1 crore to test the samples for Covid-19 was inaugurated by Minister for Fisheries and Ports Kota Srinivas Poojary on Wednesday.

 

Covid Lab09july


The minister said that when the Covid cases were recorded in the state, Karnataka had one laboratory. Now, the state has 82 laboratories to test covid samples.

He said 1,390 Covid-19 cases had been registered in the district and 1,100 cases among them were returnees from Maharashtra.

The laboratory is seen as a blessing for Udupi district, which was earlier dependent on Covid Wenlock hospital, Hassan, Shivamogga and KMC in Manipal to get the swab samples tested. The swab samples collected and the result will be known immediately.

“The members of the team, including one microbiologist and eight lab technicians, had undergone training at Bengaluru-based Nimhans,” informed district surgeon Dr Madhusudhan Nayak.

He said that as part of the trial run, five samples tested in the laboratory in Udupi were sent to Nimhans. Nimhans, based on the report, had given the go-ahead signal within two days.

Dr Nayak said as many as 96 samples can be tested simultaneously in the laboratory. The laboratory is equipped to test 300 swab samples per day.

The process of reporting the results of tests will be online.

The ICMR guidelines will be followed. PPE kits are compulsory and the samples accepted will be kept in the bio-safety cabinet.

Microbiologist Dr Anitta D’Souza said one sample testing will cost Rs 1,600, which includes test kits.

Dr Nayak said that the expenses will be borne under the district Calamity Relief Fund.


Courtesy:Deccan Herald