According to report published by The Tribune, Pakistan does not have any lab that can test for Coronavirus in the country. There are no laboratories in the country equipped to test for the strain of the virus.
According to the report, Pakistan has asked for help from China and The Netherlands to help in confirming suspected cases of people arriving in Pakistan.
Coronavirus which is named 2019-nCoV is a virus that causes lung damage. The virus started off in the city of Wuhan, China and has infected several hundred people in different countries including China, Japan, Hong Kong, South Korea, Thailand, Singapore, United States and even more.
Many deaths have now been reported in China from the virus.
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Based on the report by The Tribune, there are only a few laboratories in the world that are equipped to detect the virus 2019-nCoV since it is a new strain and little is known about it at this point.
The Centres for Disease Control (CDC) and select labs in China and The Netherlands can confirm cases so according to the Advisor to the Prime Minister on Health Zafar Mirza samples will be sent to them for testing.
Dr. Zafar Mirza said:
We will send samples to these countries for confirmation,
A deadline of 8 February, 2020 is given to set up proper surveillance and areas at all ports after a meeting with the heads of federeal hospitals and health institutions.
Screening of passengers has already started and thermal scanners has been set up at four airports by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).
These measures are currently being taken at the Islamabad International Airport, Karachi Allama Iqbal International Airport, Lahore Jinnah International Airport and the Peshawar Bacha Khan International Airport.
Every passenger coming in from any infected areas like China will be screened at the airport and informed about the disease at the arrival lounges that have been set up.
In such a case that a passenger is identified with the virus, they will be kept in isolation rooms set up by the CAA and then moved to a hospital.
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