After getting approval from the Ministry of Health to conduct tests for coronavirus on 6 March, the Da Nang Centre for Disease Control (CDC) is running around the clock to expedite the availability of tests.

CDC staff racing against the clock to provide accurate test results as soon as possible

Timely tests for the virus play a critical role in helping frontline healthcare workers early detect patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 and promptly treat them, as well as reducing the risk of further human-to-human transmission in the city.

Lab technician Pham Viet Son from CDC said medical staff is potentially at risk of infection from handling specimens from patients with possible SARS-CoV-2 infection. This is because that the test detects the genetic signature (RNA) of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in swab samples which are collected deep in the back of the patient’s throat or nose. Hence, during the process of taking samples, the flu virus might be spread by not only coughing and sneezing, but also simply by breathing.

Mr Son advised that healthcare workers should wear personal protective equipment, such as clothing, gloves, face masks and eyeglasses, and use them as single-use items, when taking swab samples from patients to protect themselves.

Dr Nguyen Thi Thanh Nhan, Head of the Ward of Medical Test - Image Diagnostics - Functional Exploration under the management of CDC, said that throat swabs and blood serum samples of suspected patients would be sent to CDC lab equipped with Real-Time RT-PCR Diagnostic system.

Dr Nhan said that the city’s lab can shorten implementation times for testing to give results to be available in 3-4 hours, making it nearly 20 times faster than sending samples to the Nha Trang Pasteur Institute for tests.

She remarked that previously, the samples of suspected cases had been required to be sent to the Nha Trang Pasteur Institute to test for the virus. Due to geographical distance and increasing number of samples, the results were often back in between 48 hours and 72 hours, even longer. Delays in receiving results caused difficulties for the city to promptly provide treatment for infected patients.

Dr Ton That Thanh, the CDC’s Director, said that the permit for conducting tests for coronavirus granted by the Vietnamese Ministry of Health has helped the city take drastic measures to slow the spread of the disease and tackle the virus.

“Since 6 March, CDC lab has conducted more than 1,000 tests for suspected coronavirus cases, and close contacts of infected patients”. Dr Thanh noted.

Currently, all CDC staff are making every effort to help the city stop the spread of coronavirus.

By PHAN CHUNG - Translated by MAI DUNG