Zim receives equipment to detect COVID-19 variants

ZIMBABWE is now able to detect COVID-19 variants after it received a donation of 57 PCR testing machines from a Chinese firm.

Satewave Technologies donated the machines, along with 1 000 boxes of traditional Chinese medicine, Lianhua Qingwen capsules worth US$3 500 which it said could be used to limit the impact of COVID-19 on patients.

The PCR machines can do four tests at any one time, with results expected within 45 minutes.

The country is currently battling a third wave of COVID-19 and Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga, who is also and Health minister, described the intervention as timely as Zimbabwe is battling to contain the Delta variant which has its origins in India.

“Zimbabwe, like other low-income countries, is challenged by a lack of timely access and limited availability of COVID-19 diagnostic and testing resources, which could affect the ongoing containment measures,” he said at the handover ceremony held at the Sally Mugabe Central Hospital in Harare.

He added that vendors in Bulawayo and Harare would be only ne allowed to resume business after undergoing vaccination.

The machines are portable and user-friendly, making it possible for the whole country to upscale testing for the virus.

Apart from testing for SarsCov-2, the machine can also test for HIV viral load, tuberculosis, malaria, gonorrhoea and herpes simplex virus.

Speaking at the same event, Satewave Technologies managing director Maggie Xiaofeng Feng said the donation would ensure that the country is able to detect variants quickly and respond accordingly.

“The test kits we are donating today will ensure that variants are quickly picked up thereby raising awareness in the population and helping the Health ministry to craft containment strategies,” Feng said.

“The PCR testing machines will not only scale up Zimbabwe’s COVID-19 testing capacity, but will also help in terms of disease screening for long-term health strategies and improving Zimbabwean people’s health.”

On the traditional medicine, Feng said: “Zimbabwe has recently seen a renewed interest in traditional medicines and we are grateful that the Zimbabwean government has supported the use of traditional medicines through the setting up of the traditional Chinese medicine facility at Parirenyatwa Hospital.”

Zimbabwe is yet to approve locally-derived traditional medicines for similar purposes.