We Need Extraction Kits For More Coronavirus Testing – NCDC ~ Matters Arising

The Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, Chikwe Ihekweazu, says the centre is in dire need of more Ribonucleic Acid extraction kits as testing for the coronavirus disease is being increased in the country.

Ihekweazu made this disclosure on Sunday via Twitter while calling on medical and pharmaceutical companies and distributors who have the kits in stock.

The director-general said, “We’re desperately looking for more RNA extraction kits as we expand COVID-19 testing.”

He gave the product specification as “total viral RNA extraction kits preferably spin column and with a lysis buffer”, from manufacturers such as Qiagen, ThermoFischer, SeeGene, Inqaba, LifeRiver, amongst others.

He urged anyone with information to this important testing material to reach the centre via its email address, ncdclabnetwork@ncdc.gov.ng.

According to the World Health Organisation, RNA extraction kits that are designed to extract RNA directly from clinical specimens may be unsuitable for extracting RNA from virus-infected cell culture lysates.