WHO has published a checklist that has been agreed upon, Indonesia has the capability to detect this coronavirus
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Health Ministry believes Indonesia is able to detect novel coronavirus (2019-nCov) in accordance with the procedure adopted by the World Health Organization (WHO). "WHO has published a checklist that has been agreed upon, Indonesia has the capability to detect this coronavirus," Chief of the Biomedical and Health Basic Technology Research and Development Centre of the Health Research and Development Board of the Health Ministry Vivi Setiawaty said here Friday.

She was commenting on the doubt of several parties about the capability of the Indonesian government's laboratories to detect 2019 nCov. Indonesia is among the countries that has not recorded a confirmed case of the coronavirus.

When the novel coronavirus outbreak occurred in China, WHO had published procedures and technical guides to detect the virus. From the checklist published by WHO, Indonesia has met all the standards agreed upon by WHO.

"The laboratory of the Health Research and Development Board of the Health Ministry has been accredited by WHO and is capable of detecting the coronavirus since it emerged for the first time in 2005." she said.

Until now the board has received 30 samples of sputum and swab to detect whether or not the virus is found in Indonesia.

The result of a laboratory test on the novel coronavirus can be obtained in less than two days.

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Translator: Aditya Ramadhan/Suharto
Editor: Mulyo Sunyoto
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