Since the first outbreak of the coronavirus in the Democratic Republic of Congo on 21 March 2020, the country has been relying on one laboratory stationed at the National Institute for Biomedical Research (INRB) in Kinshasa, to conduct the tests.
However from next week more laboratories will be installed in other medical centres in the Capital and the Provinces of Haut-Katanga, North and South Kivu, Kongo Central, Ituri and Kwilu. This was confirmed by Prime Minister Sylvester Ilunga Ilunkamba, during a Senate briefing on the current coronavirus situation in the country.
The added laboratries will be equipped with the rapid GeneXpert testing kits, which provides results within 45 minutes.
Currently the INRB has the capacity to only test about 500 samples per day, which could pose further challenges in containing the spread.
The Prime Minister also added that government will set up screening sites across the country , with a mass one already opened at the Martyr stadium, the biggest football stadium in the country.
Regarding some of the progress made in fighting the virus, Ilunkamba also mentioned how his government has managed to reduced the mortality rate from 12% to 4%; he also highlighted that 85% of positive cases are mild and those patients are sent home, some with chloroquine medication, to recover in isolation.
By Tuesday 26 May 2020 , the Democratic Republic of Congo had 2546 coronavirus cases, 2293 in Kinshasa, 176 in Kongo Central, 21 in Haut-Katanga, 35 in North Kivu, 16 in South Kivu , 2 in Ituri and 2 in Kwilu. So far there have been 365 recoveries and 68 deaths.
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