South Korea was among the countries with confirmed COVID-19 cases that have finally normalized to the point that they are now going to give about kits. The initiative would be able to administer 600,000 coronavirus tests to the United States.
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South Korea's Turn To Assist The United States
The U.S. has the highest number of fatalities, and new cases keep on rising every hour. Due to the alarming numbers of deaths and cases, some countries lend a hand--South Korea is one of them. President Donald Trump has requested for aid via telephone call with President Moon Jae-in on Mar. 25.
A U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency cargo plane that is scheduled to carry the equipment will leave at 10:30 P.M. EST on Tuesday, Apr. 14, and the first of the shipments will be carried over to the U.S. government on Monday, Apr. 13, said by an official. There will be an additional package of kits that can conduct as many as 150,000 tests will be transported very soon. It will be sold through a local retailer, which for now is not being shared with the public.
The request for testing kits by the U.S. is one of many bulk orders they made from South Korea. The kits will be used for possible mass testing to ensure safety and prevent the spread of the virus.
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PCR or the polymerase chain reaction kits will be given to three companies that have already secured preliminary approval last month from the Food and Drug Administration or FDA to be able to export kits over to the United States. Still, no word from the names of the companies who would be receiving those test kits.
There is a source, however, who mentioned that one of the companies is Osang Healthcare, which will be given over 300,000 tests.
Why South Korea Is Helping Out The World's Leading Superpower
South Korea was one of the first countries that had confirmed COVID-19 cases. Fortunately, the country was able to stabilize the growing cases. With the efforts of government officials and private companies in developing and making secure regulatory approval for tests, it was able to test thousands of people quickly.
A South Korean official said, "We've moved as quickly as possible to get necessary clearances given the urgency of the situation there."
As the coronavirus pandemic continues to plague the world, especially in the U.S., it's clear the testing kits are becoming a valuable essential to everyone should be able to have access. Thankfully, countries like South Korea are stepping up to help out bend the curve.