Gorgas Institute racks up virus test supplies

The Gorgas Commemorative Institute, , has purchased  75,000 PCR tests (used to detect COVID-19) at a cost between $ 8.50 and $10 each meaning that between  $637,500 and $ 750,000 have been invested in tests, not counting costs of extraction kits and swabs, according the Ministry of Health (Minsa).

Gorgas is currently in the process of purchasing 10,000 additional tests. An additional 20,000 tests are expected to be obtained, 10,000 from the Pan American Health Organization and 10,000 donated by South Korea reports TVN

Rapid antigen tests have also been applied in Panama, at a cost of $12.50. Some 15,000 have been made in the last month, representing an approximate cost of $187,500. The team of scientists at the Gorgas Memorial Institute is working to sequence the COVID-19 virus to determine its genomic traceability. So far, 300 positive cases have been sequenced in Panama determining the different strains present in the country.