Coronavirus: NCDC open more labs for COVID-19 test as cases soar

NCDC Labs

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) says it has extended its molecular laboratories with the capacity to detect Coronavirus Disease to six.

The official Twitter account of the NCDC twitted last night the expansion of the number of laboratories with the capacity to test for the coronavirus (COVID-19).

See details of twitter below:
We have expanded the number of labs with the capacity to test for #COVID19 to 6 with the inclusion of the Virology Laboratory of University College Hospital, Ibadan Tomorrow, we will be in Abakaliki to set up another lab as we quickly ramp up #COVID19 testing capacity in Nigeria

The facilities are located in the NCDC’s National Reference Laboratory, Abuja; Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, Edo State; Redeemers University Nigeria, Ogun State; Lagos University Teaching Hospital; and Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, Lagos.

Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, Director General of the NCDC, also disclosed this to newsmen on Saturday in Abuja, while giving an update on COVID-19 in the country.

Ihekweazu said this capacity had now been expanded to include the Virology Laboratory of the University College Hospital, Ibadan.

He said: “Currently, samples from cases that meet the case definition are collected by the State Epidemiology Team and transported through a defined process funded by NCDC, from the state to one of the testing laboratories.

“The inclusion of one more laboratory will increase the capacity to detect cases in the country.”

Ihekweazu further said the establishment of COVID-19 testing capacity in the laboratories was based on existing resources.

“The NCDC Team will be in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State to set up COVID-19 testing capacity in the existing molecular laboratory within the state,” he said.

He stated that each laboratory costs about N150 million to build and equip initially, and millions of naira to maintain functionality.

He disclosed that NCDC was keeping abreast of new technologies available and validated globally to support the scale up of testing capacity for COVID-19.

Ihekweazu added that each laboratory would continue to provide diagnostic support for a defined number of states in the country.

The NCDC boss said the laboratories were critical to reducing turnaround time between identifying a suspected case and confirmation.

He said: “Our strategy is to find cases quickly, isolate, follow up with contacts and treat these cases.

“We are working very hard to flatten the curve in Nigeria.”

Meanwhile eight new cases of #COVID19 have been reported in Nigeria; 2 in FCT, 4 in Oyo, 1 in Kaduna and 1 in Osun State As at 10:40 pm 28th March there are 97 confirmed cases of #COVID19 reported in Nigeria with 1 death.
Governor Nasil El Rufai of Kaduna State last night in a telecast confirmed he has tested positive to the dreaded virus. This make him the only case from Kaduna thus far.
Visit: ncdc.gov.ng for more.
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