COVID-19: Israeli scientists to arrive in India, work on breakthrough rapid diagnosis tech

A special team of Israeli scientists will arrive in India this week to conduct final sts of testing of advanced techlogies for rapid diagsis of new Coronavirus disease with ir Indian counterparts.

Israeli delegation, led by Directorate of Defense Research and Development (DDR&D), in Israel Ministry of Defense (IMoD), will conduct a series of tests to determine effectiveness of a number of rapid diagstic solutions. team will work with Indian Office of Principal Scientific Adviser, K Vijay Raghavan.

In a statement, Israeli Foreign Ministry said  country's Ambassador to India, Dr. Ron Malka will board flight, which will carry cutting-edge equipment donated by government and members of private sector.  plane will deliver mechanical ventilators which were given special permission by Tel Aviv for export to India.

In addition to DDR&D team, delegation will also include engineers, an infectious diseases specialist and or professionals from companies involved in development of various diagstic techlogies.

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What teams will do?

Since start of pandemic, DDR&D has tested dozens of diagstic​ techlogies. Some of m have matured and passed initial trials in Israel, however, in order to complete testing and prove ir effectiveness, se must be tested on a wide range of patients.

Israeli and Indian teams will collect tens of thousands of samples in just ten days, and analyze m using computer systems based on artificial intelligence. All tests will be validated using confirmatory RT PCR tests. For this purpose, Centre has designated a team of around 100 professionals, as well as a team dedicated to construction of testing sites that will be operated jointly by Israeli and Indian delegations. 

four tech systems that will be tested are: voice test, breathalyzer test based on terra-hertz waves, isormal test, and polyami acids test. What y all have in common is ability to detect presence of SARS-CoV-2 ( virus that causes COVID-19) in body quickly – usually within minutes. Developing diagstic capabilities is most effective way to cut off 'chains of infection', prevent prolonged quarantine, and enable reopening of global ecomy.

'Mess of friendship'

Since outbreak of global pandemic, PM Narendra Modi and his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu have held three telephonic conversations in which y promised mutual assistance in dealing with pandemic and committed to joint techlogical and scientific research between countries.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi said, "I see great importance in cooperation with India in fight against COVID-19 pandemic. This operation conveys a mess of friendship and solidarity with India. It also provides a unique opportunity for scientific and techlogical cooperation that can assist Israel, India, and world in coping both with pandemic and with ecomic crisis that came with it." 

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