Our Correspondent
Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (Seha) and G42 Healthcare have announced a purpose-built registration, screening and testing facility has been set up at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC) for COVID-19 vaccine trials. Residents who wish to volunteer in the Phase III trials for the inactivated vaccine against the coronavirus can now ‘walk in’ without registration and enrol themselves. The facility will be open every day except Friday from 8 am to 8 pm, including over the Eid holidays, the Gulf News reported. The facility will only be open to Abu Dhabi residents.
Ever since the vaccine trials were launched in Abu Dhabi on July 16, more than 10,000 people have signed up, including more than 5,000 in the first 24 hours. The trials are open to volunteers aged between 18 and 60 years living in the UAE. They will last between six to eight months, and the volunteers have to be available for follow-ups during this time.
The vaccine, developed by Sinopharm China National Biotec Group, has already shown promising results in its first two phases, producing antibodies when two doses of it were administered 28 days apart.
G42 Healthcare is a privately-held artificial intelligence and cloud computing firm, which is managing the clinical trial process under the supervision of the Department of Health Abu Dhabi and in coordination with Seha.
Ashish Koshy, G42 Healthcare’s chief executive officer, said that there has been an amazing response to the volunteer programme, and hence they are conducting feasibility studies on setting up similar sites in other parts of the UAE for the convenience for volunteers.
There is a highly experienced and qualified team of nurses, administrators, health care professionals and volunteers from SEHA at ADNEC for welcoming volunteers, managing the registration and screening process, and administering the inactivated vaccine.
Dr Nawal Al Kaabi of Sheikh Khalifa Medical City in the capital said that ADNEC can process up to 800 volunteers a day and the location is convenient and accessible for people of Abu Dhabi to reach.
People who have already registered online can receive on-site screening and the first vaccination shot at the walk-in clinic, but they must have completed three days after receiving a negative test result for COVID-19.
On-site staff from Seha will help volunteers maintain appropriate social distancing protocols during their visit.
Ghantoot rapid test facility prepares for Eid rush.
Meanwhile, authorities are expecting up to 10,000 people to pass through the Ghantoot rapid testing facility every day during the Eid break. The Ghantoot facility for COVID-19 at the Abu Dhabi-Dubai border offers commuters an easier, more convenient entry into the emirate by providing quick tests that allow them to prove they are free of COVID-19.
It uses a laser-based technique, known as Diffractive Phase Interferometry (DPI), to detect virus-caused inflammation markers in the blood. The testing technique, which produces results within minutes, was developed by Abu Dhabi-based QuantLase Imaging Lab, while the tent in Ghantoot is operated by Tamouh Healthcare. Compared to the traditional COVID-19 PCR tests that are priced at Dh370, the rapid DPI tests cost only Dh50. The rapid test is available only to UAE residents, and an Emirates ID is required for registration.
