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DTRA supports NCDC and Lugar Center with virus neutralization test kit
3 MINUTE READ
September 14, 2020

U.S. Embassy Tbilisi’s Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) is supporting Georgian national research studies at the National Center for Disease Control/Lugar Center on SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19.  DTRA donated three surrogate virus neutralization test kits, manufactured in New Jersey, which offer a novel technology for determining neutralization antibody levels to the SARS-CoV-2 virus. This offers key insights for persons with COVID-19 and in studies of immune protection and vaccination. The kits offer rapid testing that can be completed in research, clinical and hospital settings. These kits can contribute to the protection and treatment of the global pandemic, and they are key capabilities for research teams. Proposed studies with these kits will enable Georgian researchers to study the virus and COVID-19 patient responses to enhance national responses to the disease and guide future studies on immune protection and vaccination.