The director-general of the Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC), Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, on Sunday said that Nigeria needed to stock more of the RNA extraction kits to cater to the expansion of its COVID-19 testing capacity.
Taking to his Twitter handle, Dr Ihekweazu, gave specifications of the test kits Nigeria is looking for and preferred manufacturers.
He writes: “We’re desperately looking for more RNA extraction kits as we expand #COVID19 testing.
“Product: Total viral RNA extraction kits (preferably spin column and with a lysis buffer)
“Manufacturers: Qiagen, Thermo Fischer, SeeGene, Inqaba, LifeRiver, etc.”
The Centre earlier said it had added two more laboratories to the existing 13 laboratories established in the country, but Ihekweazu’s tweet has raised the fear that Nigeria might lack enough kits to test suspected cases for COVID-19.
During a briefing of the Presidential Task Force for COVID-19 in Abuja on Tuesday, the NCDC DG had said that the Centre would increase Nigeria’s COVID-19 testing capacity to 4000 per day across the country with 2000 samples to be done per day in Lagos State.
We’re desperately looking for more RNA extraction kits as we expand #COVID19 testing
Product: Total viral RNA extraction kits (preferably spin column and with a lysis buffer)
Manufacturers: Qiagen, ThermoFischer, SeeGene, Inqaba, LifeRiver etc.
?: ncdclabnetwork@ncdc.gov.ng
— Chikwe Ihekweazu (@Chikwe_I) April 26, 2020
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