South Korea: Nearly 500 million COVID-19 kits exported

South Korea: Nearly 500 million COVID-19 kits exported. South Korea: Exports nearly 500 million COVID-19 kits to more than 170 countries, with India the most

According to Yonhap News Agency’s report on December 4, according to the Korean Food and Drug Safety Agency (Food and Drug Administration) and Customs Service on the 4th, as of November, South Korea had exported 4967.9 million new coronavirus test kits to more than 170 countries. The export value is approximately 2.5 trillion won (approximately RMB 14.99 billion).

The export volume of test kits has shown a sharp increase since July, and the export volume in October and November continued to set new records. In terms of export targets, South Korea exported the most test kits to India, accounting for 15.6% of the total exports, and Germany (13.2%), the Netherlands (9.6%), Italy (7.8%) and the United States (5.2%) Listed later. The number of kits exported to these five countries accounted for more than half.

At present, a total of 221 test kits have been approved for export, including 105 genetic test kits, 44 antigen test kits, and 72 antibody test kits. There are 9 kits for domestic use, and another 40 kits are in the approval stage.

(source: internet/South Korea: Exports nearly 500 million COVID-19 kits)

WIKI:  COVID-19 Testing

COVID-19 testing involves analyzing samples to assess the current or past presence of SARS-CoV-2. The two main branches detect either the presence of the virus or of antibodies produced in response to infection.[1][2] Tests for viral presence are used to diagnose individual cases and to allow public health authorities to trace and contain outbreaks. Antibody tests instead show whether someone once had the disease. They are less useful for diagnosing current infections because antibodies may not develop for weeks after infection.[3] It is used to assess disease prevalence, which aids the estimation of the infection fatality rate.