The survey which analysed antibodies shows seroprevalence (the level of a pathogen in a population as measured in blood serum) for the virus in Nairobi stands at 35 per cent.
Seroprevalence is a way of identifying the number of people in a given population who have developed antibodies to diseases such as SARS-CoV-2, herpes simplex and HIV, following an infection.
Antibodies are Y-shaped proteins that bind to the body’s foreign invaders and signal the immune system to get to work. They bind like a lock-and-key to the invaders whether they are viruses, bacteria, fungi or parasites.
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Country Director for CHAI Mr Gerald Macharia said 2,000 rapid antigen testing kits will be donated to Nakuru County to kick start the testing.
“CHAI will also support the training of 60 Medical Lab Technologists on the Covid-19 Rapid Antigen testing,” he said.
Rapid antigen testing is a diagnostic test that directly detects the presence or absence of a specific protein (antigen) that causes Covid-19.
The technology does not require a laboratory for the processing of results, which are processed within 15 minutes.
Also, with the technology, individuals who are at a greater risk of contracting the virus can easily be identified.
Nakuru Chief Officer of Public Health Samuel King’ori said the technology will boost the fight against the spread of the virus.
Health & Science - By
Gatonye Gathura | January 25th 2021 at 11:00:00 GMT +0300
A male patient receiving an injection from a doctor. [Standard]
The first study in Kenya to pay healthy volunteers to be infected with a disease-causing parasite, researchers say, was an eye-opener.
The project acquired invaluable scientific knowledge, put money in volunteers’ pockets but also reports some serious setbacks.
For almost a decade, the Kenya Medical Research Institute (Kemri) has infected volunteers with malaria in search of new knowledge, drugs and vaccines.
The first experiment was carried out among university students in Nairobi in 2012, mainly to understand malaria in Central Kenya.