S. Korea pushing to export rapid coronavirus diagnostic kit

SEOUL, May 26 (Yonhap) -- South Korea is pushing to export a coronavirus test kit developed by a military research center that drastically reduces the diagnosis time, the defense ministry said Tuesday.

The Armed Forces Medical Research Institute has patented the loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) method used in the test kit that cuts the time it takes to diagnose COVID-19 by up to three hours compared with the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method.

Companies are now awaiting approval from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety for its use while preparing exports, according to the ministry.

It is one of a series of projects the ministry has carried out to fight the spread of the new coronavirus. As of early Tuesday, the military had reported 52 cases of the new virus in barracks.

scaaet@yna.co.kr
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