South Korea has become the most important source of medical supplies for India, as it is one of those few countries who has controlled the novel coronavirus with aggressive testing and contact tracing.

On Monday, the Indian embassy in Seoul signed an agreement for supply of 5, 00,000 rapid test kits from a South Korean company to the ICMR. The kits would be delivered in four separate shipments. The first consignment will reach India on 30th April. India’s ambassador to South Korea Sripriya Ranganathan said that this procurement will help to scale up the availability of tests, which is a ``big weapon’’ against the COVID-19 fight.

Ranganathan told ToI that it is not a buyer’s market but the goodwill shared between India and the South Korean government and its people. The manufacturers are much more approachable to needs and more flexible in meeting the demands of India.

South Korea has a 13,000-strong Indian community, which not even one has tested positive for coronavirus. The country had a maximum number of infections in Asia after China. It has now reporting daily decrease in cases to single digits.

Apart from speeding up testing and contact tracing, it is important to focus similarly on treatment and in traditional and alternative ways of boosting immunity.

The Koreans have had a remarkable success with contact tracing. Once a person was tested positive, he or she would be asked to come on their own with a self-declaration regarding their movement in the last few days. It would be confirmed then by their cell phone data, credit card details, CCTVs and GPS.

Source: ET Healthworld