Bangladesh researchers make sample collection kits for coronavirus test

A group of Bangladeshi researchers have made sample collection kits for coronavirus test, a development that aims to ease the process and ensure safety and accuracy.

They have supplied 5,000 kits to the Directorate General of Health Services or

DGHS, its Additional Directorate General Nasima Sultana said at the daily briefing on COVID-19 on Wednesday.

The Designated Reference Institute for Chemical Measurements or DRICM at the Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research developed the viral transport media or VTM kits.

DRICM Director Mala Khan said chemicals used in VTM kits help collection, transportation and preservation easily.

The researchers made the kits following guidelines of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organisation.

Mala said preservation of throat and nasal swab is very important amid the pandemic, especially in remote areas, from where the samples need to be transported to the labs.

People need to show their national ID cards and provide mobile phone numbers to give swabs for testing at Khilgaon Girls School and College in Dhaka. Photo: Mahmud Zaman Ovi

The VTM kits developed by DRICM can preserve the samples at 4 degrees Celsius temperature for three days, she said.

The kits include a tube and oropharyngeal, nasal and nasopharyngeal swabs. They also have a tongue-holder for easy collection of oropharyngeal swab.

To help the health workers, every kit has an instruction label with photo illustrations.

Mala hoped the kits would reduce the risk of infection among the health workers and contamination of the samples. The kits would also save Bangladesh money used for importing swabs and tubes.