BLRI begins testing samples for COVID-19
“Our modern laboratory will play an important role in diagnosing coronavirus and addressing the ongoing crisis,”
Bangladesh Livestock Research Institute (BLRI), a state-run national research organisation under the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock Ministry, today began testing samples for coronavirus infections using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) machine installed at its laboratory.
Collecting COVID-19 samples from Dhamrai and nearby areas through the Directorate.
General of Health Services (DGHS), the BLRI lab has already started testing process of 19 samples, a handout said.
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Fisheries and Livestock Minister SM Rezaul Karim said as part of the government's overall programme to tackle coronavirus, his ministry is working to help the government prevent the lethal virus.
"Our modern laboratory will play an important role in diagnosing coronavirus and addressing the ongoing crisis," he said.
Rezaul said the BLRI lab has a real-time PCR with all kind of biological safety (biosafety level-2) and it has the capacity of testing 300 coronavirus samples per day.
On April 20 last, the DGHS sent a letter to the BLRI authorities requesting to test the COVID-19 samples, which are collected from Savar and nearby areas.
To conduct testing works, the BLRI has formed two bodies – a 14-member team involving its scientists and staff, and a six-member monitoring team.
