JERUSALEM: Israel plans to replace the existing PCR and antigen tests with saliva tests to detect COVID-19, Israel's state-owned Kan TV ...
JERUSALEM: Israel plans to replace the existing PCR and antigen tests with saliva tests to detect COVID-19, Israel's state-owned Kan TV news reported on Thursday evening.
The Israeli Ministry of Health has already received saliva test kits, and will begin examining the reliability of these tests next week by performing them alongside PCR tests among the same subjects, according to the report.
If the saliva test results match the PCR tests, the new test will gradually replace the swab one, the channel added.
In this case, saliva tests will likely be used first for children, and later for adults as well, the report said.
The channel also reported that in about a week and a half, the first shipment of 22,000 AstraZeneca vaccines will arrive in Israel for those who are medically prevented from receiving the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines.
Israel's Ministry of Health on Friday reported 4,313 new coronavirus cases, bringing the country's total infections to 1,284,063.
The death toll from the virus rose by 27 to 7,761, while the number of patients in serious condition decreased from 639 to 607.
-News Feed
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