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Jan 13 2021

Coronavirus response: Over 15,000 tests conducted in NATO-led missions in Afghanistan and Kosovo

LUXEMBOURG - Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, testing has been an essential tool in tackling transmission. In order to help protecting our troops and civilian personnel deployed in NATO-led operations, the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) delivered two COVID-19 testing laboratories in Afghanistan and Kosovo. So far, the two facilities have conducted over 15,000 tests.

The first testing laboratory was delivered to the NATO-led Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan in May 2020. Since then, and until the end of 2020, over 9,300 tests have been conducted among the personnel serving under the 38-nations mission, including service members, civilians, contractors and Afghan workers living on Resolute Support bases.

A second COVID-19 laboratory was delivered and installed at Camp Film City in Pristina (Kosovo) in September 2020. This increased the testing capacity of the NATO-led Kosovo Force (KFOR) Mission service members. To date, the two laboratory technicians deployed in Pristina have conducted over 6,000 tests to protect those serving in the mission.

In 2020, over 15,000 tests were conducted in the laboratories deployed in the missions.

Both facilities have been conducting virus detection on swab samples using RT-PCR (real time polymerase chain reaction) technology, which enable to detect infections quickly, enabling the missions to tackle the spread of the virus and to provide the necessary medical care for those infected.