Kazakhstan to build highly dangerous virus strains lab

NUR-SULTAN, November 23 (KAZINFORM) - Zhambyl region of Kazakhstan plans to build a highly dangerous virus strains laboratory. The Kazakh Healthcare Minister, Alexey Tsoi, explained the need to have such a laboratory. The Minister told journalists on the sidelines of the Government meeting that construction of the laboratory is being discussed now. It will be government-funded laboratory. Financing issues are also being discussed. «There is a BSL-3 laboratory in Kazakhstan. It studies virus strains, such as COVID. Such a laboratory helped Kazakhstan develop its own vaccine QazVac, develop diagnostics approaches to respond to these strains,» the Minister said. He noted that it is impossible to study dangerous viruses at ordinary laboratory as they are contagious. It requires certain conditions, safety wears, special air decontamination to protect those working there. As earlier reported, Zhambyl region plans to build a BSL-4 laboratory and underground storages for the collection of dangerous and highly dangerous virus strains in 2025.