Team from China builds test lab in Iraq to help fight coronavirus

The volunteer specialists of the Purple Cross Society of China talk their expertise of pandemic prevention with medical employees of Baghdad Medical Metropolis Hospital in Iraq. Photograph: Courtesy of Tao Zhongquan

A seven-member Chinese language medical crew goes all out to assist Iraq battle in opposition to the COVID-19 pandemic, advising the federal government to take stricter prevention measures, sharing China’s therapy expertise with their Iraqi counterparts and selling pandemic management know-how amongst residents.

Iraq is in pressing want of nucleic acid check kits, crew members informed the International Instances. The dearth of check kits could have been the rationale for fewer confirmed circumstances within the nation, and subsequently the Chinese language specialists are aiding Iraq in constructing a Polymerase Chain Response (PCR) laboratory in Baghdad and donated 50,000 nucleic acid check kits to enhance its diagnostic functionality.

On the request of the Iraqi Purple Crescent Society, the Chinese language volunteer medical crew was dispatched by the Purple Cross Society of China and arrived in Baghdad on March 9 with medical provides.

China’s high respiratory skilled Zhong Nanshan, head of Nationwide Well being Fee (NHC) high-level skilled group, additionally carefully connects with the volunteer specialists to offer help for Iraq’s COVID-19 battle.

COPYRIGHT_BP: Published on https://bingepost.com/team-from-china-builds-test-lab-in-iraq-to-help-fight-coronavirus/66723/ by Hilda Workman on 2020-03-19T10:43:41.000Z

Missing detection

Iraq has 154 confirmed circumstances of COVID-19 with a demise toll of 11, the Xinhua Information Company reported on Tuesday.

“The comparatively small variety of confirmed circumstances in Iraq is probably due to its restricted nucleic acid testing capabilities. Nobody is aware of for certain how many individuals have truly been contaminated right here,” Tao Zhongquan, chief of the Chinese language specialists’ crew, informed the International Instances.

Iraq has beforehand accomplished round 700 pattern exams utilizing nucleic acid check kits donated by the World Well being Group (WHO), primarily for suspected circumstances with signs and new arrivals. Iraq lacks a real image of how the pandemic is spreading given its restricted functionality for detection, based on Xinhua.

Officers from Iraqi Ministry of Well being informed the Chinese language specialists that they need to be taught from China’s expertise to implement the technique of early detection, early reporting, early isolation and early therapy. Nevertheless, their monetary capability is proscribed, so they can not afford so many exams and the prevention price, based on Tao.

The Purple Cross Society of China donated a set of laboratory tools to Iraq, together with two PCR machines and 50,000 nucleic acid check kits, which is able to assist Iraq enormously enhance its detection functionality and management the native pandemic at an early stage, Tao famous.

The Chinese language crew can be aiding Baghdad Medical Metropolis Hospital to construct a PCR laboratory and practice their nucleic acid testers as a way to develop native testing and enhance Iraq’s scientific diagnostic capacity.

The laboratory is scheduled to be accomplished later this week, Tao stated.

Physician Zhong, who guides the frontline work by electronic mail, has known as for the donation of medical tools to Iraq, and believes that pandemic prevention work in Iraq ought to be carried out on the nationwide degree, Tao informed the International Instances.

Two of the Chinese language specialists Xu Yonghao and Chen Huai, each from the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical College in South China’s Guangdong Province are from the crew of Zhong Nanshan.

Inadequate consideration

After arriving in Baghdad, the Chinese language specialists met with officers from the Iraqi Ministry of Well being, heads of some native hospitals and WHO officers in Iraq. They shared China’s expertise in opposition to COVID-19 with medical employees when visiting the Baghdad medical metropolis hospital.

“Most Iraqis will not be paying enough consideration to the outbreak. Few persons are carrying masks in public gathering occasions. Not even all the federal government officers we met wore masks,” Tao informed the International Instances.

Chinese language specialists suggested the Iraqi authorities to strengthen border inspections, as a lot of its confirmed circumstances got here from outdoors Iraq.

The nation shares a border with Iran, which had 16,169 confirmed circumstances as of Tuesday, elevating fears of an outbreak.

They suggested the Iraqi authorities to ascertain a joint prevention and management mechanism in opposition to COVID-19.

It’s also essential for native governments to encourage spiritual leaders to take part in joint prevention and management mechanisms, Tao famous.

Chinese language specialists recommended the Iraqi authorities to extend its consciousness of the outbreak, requiring masks to be worn at essential conferences and public locations.

The nationwide COVID-19 prevention and management plan and scientific diagnostic tips ought to be launched as quickly as doable, Tao stated.

So as to management the unfold of COVID-19, the Iraqi authorities determined to impose a curfew in Baghdad from 11 pm on March 17 to 11 pm on March 23. Flights are suspended from Baghdad to and from Iraq’s different provinces throughout March 17 to March 24. The Iraqi authorities gave their governors the ability to impose curfews, based on Xinhua.

“Iraq suffers from an underdeveloped medical system and an awesome scarcity of medical sources within the backdrop of decades-long US occupation and civil conflict.

Native hospitals should arrange a fever clinic and set up an isolation system for triage of widespread sufferers and suspected circumstances of COVID-19, Chinese language specialists informed native well being officers.

In addition they offered native medical employees with self-protection coaching. “It is very important stop infections in hospitals and to guard the protection of medical employees,” Tao famous.

The WHO acknowledged that the unfold of COVID-19 in Iraq reached neighborhood transmission ranges on March 9.

The Chinese language skilled crew went to the area people to popularize the prevention and management measures amongst native individuals, advising them to put on masks, measure their temperatures, wash their palms steadily and have fewer events.

Newspaper headline: Lending a hand

About The Authors

Hilda Workman - Hilda Workman is a licensed financial advisor with years of expertise in the industry. She has assisted a range of clients, from sole proprietors to large corporations, in reaching their financial objectives. She is informed about many different financial subjects, including tax preparation, investment planning and also in fashion. She believes that the best things are those that are imperfect.