The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) plays an important role in stopping the spread of COVID-19 by providing countries with state-of-the-art diagnostic equipment, Russia's permanent representative in international organizations in Vienna told Sputnik on Thursday
VIENNA (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 02nd April, 2020) The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) plays an important role in stopping the spread of COVID-19 by providing countries with state-of-the-art diagnostic equipment, Russia's permanent representative in international organizations in Vienna told Sputnik on Thursday.
In early March, IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said that the agency had the expertise needed to detect outbreaks of certain viral diseases. He also mentioned that several countries had approached the IAEA for help, and the agency had proposed instructing scientists in these nations on the reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction method, which helps detect the presence of a virus within a few hours.
"One cannot overlook the IAEA's important role in the fight against COVID-19. Nuclear technology allows for the swift and reliable detection of the virus. The agency is providing necessary cutting-edge diagnostic equipment to the member states. These measures should help the global efforts on fighting the pandemic," Mikhail Ulyanov said.
As of Thursday, the total number of the confirmed COVID-19 cases worldwide has risen to over 937,000, with more than 47,000 people having died and some 194,000 having recovered, according to Johns Hopkins University's coronavirus resource center.
