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To stop the spread of COVID19, many countries, including Ukraine, have partly or entirely closed their borders, shuttered schools and banned mass gatherings.

The disease has killed 5,000 people globally while over 140,000 have been infected. And although there have been only three confirmed cases of the disease in Ukraine, theres a growing sense of alarm here too.

Meanwhile, detecting the infection is a key issue for the country, which has a population of 37 million people.

What are the symptoms of COVID19?

Being a respiratory infection, COVID19 often has flu-like symptoms: high temperature (higher than 37.6 degrees Celsius), fatigue, sore throat, shortness of breath and a dry cough. It can take two weeks after the person was infected for symptoms to show.

People with mild symptoms might recover within just a few days. More serious symptoms of COVID19 include trouble breathing, chest pain and nasal bleeding. This can lead to pneumonia, which can cause lung failure and death.

Ithink Ihave the symptoms. What should Ido?

After the first symptoms of possible COVID19 appear, a patient should call a family doctor, an ambulance (call the number 112), or the government hotline (call the number 1545).

Its best not to go to the doctor immediately to avoid infecting other people. After excluding flu and the common cold, a doctor will send the patient to get tested for the coronavirus. In Kyiv, seven hospitals carry such tests.

According to the health ministry, patients must be tested if they recently traveled to countries with serious outbreaks of the virus or had contact with a person who is suspected to have coronavirus.

How do they test for coronavirus?

There are two types of coronavirus tests available in Ukraine: a quick finger prick test and a more precise laboratory test. The reliability of the quick test ranges from 87% to 95%.

If the rapid test gives a positive result, the diagnosis will be checked again with the advanced test to confirm that the person has COVID19. For this, a swab is taken from the patients throat and sent to a laboratory.

Ive heard theres a shortage of tests in Ukraine. Is it true?

There is no shortage, but, for now, tests are available only in designated state hospitals. In Kyiv, there are seven such hospitals: three for adults, three for children and one maternity hospital.

Kyiv authorities have bought 3,500 tests for coronavirus detection. According to Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko, by the end of the week there will be 5,000 of those. As of March 11, only 43 Ukrainians were tested for coronavirus.

How long does it take to know the results?

The rapid test detects the virus antibodies and shows a result 10 minutes after the blood is taken.

The more advanced test takes, on average, 57 hours to give a result. There are only nine laboratories in Ukraine that test the samples sent by the hospitals.

How much does a test cost?

State hospitals test for coronavirus for free. But one must have a doctors recommendation to take the test.

CanI buy it somewhere and do the test for COVID19 by myself?

Although the Ministry of Health of Ukraine guarantees the accuracy of only those tests performed in public hospitals, some private laboratories already offer tests for coronavirus. In Eurolab medical center in Kyiv, rapid tests cost around $60 and deliver the result in 30 minutes. The test is performed using a persons venous blood.

At the same time, according to Deputy Health Minister Viktor Lyashko, rapid tests may appear in Ukrainian drug stores soon as well. Their retail prices arent known yet. The state has been buying them for around $14.

IfI test positive, what should Ido?

Judging from the experience of other countries, it will depend on how bad the symptoms are.

After testing positive for coronavirus, a person may be either advised to self-quarantine at home or be put in a hospital for infectious diseases. Out of the three confirmed cases in Ukraine, one man was hospitalized, while two people were simply reported to be isolated.

According to the health ministry, every oblast in Ukraine has designated hospitals to treat coronavirus patients. These hospitals have been supplied with protective equipment.

Patients in severe condition may need medical ventilators. Ukraine has only 605 of those, according to the health ministry. By comparison, Italy has over 1,000 coronavirus patients on ventilation lung support.

Does the U.S. travel ban affect Ukraine? CanI still travel to the U.S. from Ukraine?

Yes, one can fly to the United States from Ukraine if the flight doesnt have a stopover in the Schengen Area countries.

The travel ban imposed by the White House to stop the spread of coronavirus in the U.S. starts on March 13 on midnight. For 30 days, the U.S. will not allow travelers from the Schengen Area which includes 26 European countries.

Ukraine isnt a part of the Schengen Area, but most flights to the U.S. make a connection in Europe. The options that remain are a direct flight from Kyiv to New York operated by Ukraine International Airlines or flights with stopovers in non-Schengen countries like the U.K. or Turkey.

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Excerpt from:
Everything you need to know about testing for coronavirus in Ukraine - Kyiv Post