MOSCOW, March 18. /TASS/. More than 122,000 novel coronavirus tests have been conducted in the laboratories of the Russian Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing as of Tuesday, the watchdog’s press service reported on Wednesday.
"More than 122,000 coronavirus tests have been conducted in Russia," the press service said.
The test systems are based on the molecular genetic method of research - polymerase chain reaction (PCR). They have high sensitivity, which makes it possible to detect single copies of viruses. Test results can be obtained within two to four hours.
The current coronavirus illness was registered in central China at the end of December 2019. On March 11, the World Health Organization declared it a pandemic. COVID-19 infection cases have been recorded in more than 130 countries. According to the latest data, over 190,000 people have contracted the virus, about 8,000 of them have died. A total of 114 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Russia so far.