Greece announced on Monday the first locally-produced rapid antigen test for the novel coronavirus, in a development hailed by the Development Ministry as a “major success.”
A part of a 2.9-million-euro research program funded by the Ministry, the test, which in just a few minutes can detect whether someone is a carrier of the virus, is the result of the collaboration between six research centers and four universities.
Minister Christos Dimas noted the importance of being able to “utilize the exceptional human research potential that we have at our disposal in order to be able to make a significant contribution at the level of domestic research in tackling the fight against the coronavirus.”
Its patent from the Industrial Property Organization is pending, while the search for the company that will produce the testing kit is also under way, the Ministry said.
The program, he stated, “puts Greece at the forefront of developments in the study of the virus and the production of knowledge for dealing with this health crisis.”
He added that the rapid antigen test will improve the ability of Greek health authorities to carry out testing for the novel coronavirus on a mass scale.
See all the latest news from Greece and the world at Greekreporter.com. Contact our newsroom to report an update or send your story, photos and videos. Follow GR on Google News and subscribe here to our daily email!
