The UAE’s coronavirus testing unit Pure Health has said that it will be rolling out saliva tests around the UAE.
They will soon be available in hospital in clinics around the country and will offer a less intrusive way to test for the COVID-19 virus. Previously, tests would include either a nasal swab or by taking blood.
The new tests are currently being validated and will be rolled out ‘over the coming days’.
Syed Sajjad Navki, the senior manager at the Scientific Office of Pure Health, confirmed that the company has been working with the World Health Organisation on the new generation of tests. They are currently at the final stages, to “check the qualify and proficiency of testing centres”.
This would be another boon in the UAE’s successful handling of the COVID-19 virus. In July and August, the UAE was number one globally in the number of tests carried out per population unit. In August alone, the UAE conducted more than 2 million tests – ranking eight globally.
Over the summer, the UAE announced that it has reduced the total number of cases by 21 per cent, and the mortality rate of the virus by 5.7 per cent.
In case you missed it, The Supreme Council of for National Security has put together a website that lets you track the coronavirus outbreak here in the UAE.
The new tool – that is updated daily – provides users with real-time data on the number of confirmed cases, critical cases, deaths and the number of people who have recovered.
The website also provides more information on the coronavirus, as well as a self-assessment page for those worried they may have contracted the virus.
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