MELBOURNE:
Health authorities are using what they describe as a world-first saliva test for coronavirus in Australia’s second-largest city where the disease is spreading at an alarming rate.
Officials say 49 people tested positive to COVID-19 in Melbourne on Sunday and only four cases were detected elsewhere in Australia. Australian Deputy Chief Medical Officer Nick Coatsworth told Australian Broadcasting Corp. on Monday the saliva test was being rolled out in Victoria state, where Melbourne is the capital, and its effectiveness was still being tested.
Coatsworth said the less-comfortable nasal test remained the preferred option and may be more accurate, but the saliva test will be great, particularly for kids. Victorian Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton said authorities were close to losing control of the spread while pandemic restrictions were easing elsewhere in Australia.
l think it’s a genuine challenge now. I think we’re right at the edge in terms of being able to manage it, Sutton said. We know that as three-quarters of the country goes back to normal way of living, it becomes even more challenging to tell people that it’s not the same here and that they’ve got to go on with a more constrained life, Sutton added.
Melbourne and Sydney, Australia’s largest city, began with the largest numbers of cases because of the large numbers of international travellers they receive, Sutton said. Melbourne’s colder weather during the current Southern Hemisphere winter might also play a part in the city’s great community transmission, he said.
more recommended stories
SP Medifort Launches Advanced Dialysis CentreTHIRUVANANTHAPURAM:A state-of-the-art maintenance hemodialysis facility is.
Japanese Govt Approves 250 billion USD Economic Package to Ease PricesTOKYO:The Japanese government has approved a.
South Africa Declares Food-borne Illnesses a ‘National Disaster’JOHANNESBURG:South Africa has declared food-borne illnesses.
RGCB and Cochin Cancer Research Centre Sign MoU on Cancer TherapyTHIRUANANTHAPURAM:The Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology.
Aster Medcity and Aster Volunteers Launches Free HbA1c Test Campaign for the ElderlyKOCHI:Aster Medcity, in collaboration with Aster.
11 Jail Guards Under House Arrest in Italy for Torture of InmatesROME:Dozens of prison guards were under.
Kerala Targets Rs 1,000 Crore investment in Ayurveda SectorKOCHI:Kerala has set a target of.
Aster Medcity’s Aster Nutricon ’24 Conference Focuses Brain Health and Nutrition ManagementKOCHI:The Department of Clinical Nutrition &.
Kerala Governor to Inaugurate Regenerative Pain Medicine and Wellness Clinic at Amrita HospitalKOCHI:Amrita Hospital is set to inaugurate.
Giant Pandas Leave South Australia for HomeCANBERRA:Australia’s only giant pandas have left.