Seegene supports Mexico's 'back to school' campaign with COVID-19 tests and face masks

SEOUL, South Korea, April 9, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- South Korea's leading molecular diagnostics firm Seegene Inc. (KQ096530) said Friday it is supporting the Mexican government's push to return life to pre-pandemic days.

During a ceremonial event held in Mexico City on Thursday local time, Seegene donated 50,000 COVID-19 diagnostic tests, 100 refrigerators to store both diagnostic assays and coronavirus vaccines and 20,000 protective face masks to Mexico's Ministry of Health, to help combat the pandemic. The donated goods will be distributed by the Mexico's MOH to clinics and hospitals nationwide.

The General Director of Seegene Mexico, Sun-kyung Jung said the "donation to the Latin American country, the second of its kind, comes as Seegene supports the Mexico's federal government's push to reopen schools and businesses." He added that the company "fully backs Mexican communities to overcome the pandemic and return to normalcy."

Seegene had been constantly backing communities around the world including Europe and the U.S. wishing for their swift return to pre-pandemic days by supplying COVID-19 diagnostic tests. The Korean biotechnology firm said that it aims to expand its social responsibility to Latin America, starting with Mexico.

Seegene's COVID-19 diagnostic test can be interchangeably used with a saliva sample collection feature, allowing for both nasopharyngeal specimen collection feature to be used for multiplex real-time PCR tests in screening the novel coronavirus. The less-invasive saliva test is an easy and convenient method in gathering specimen samples without compromising sensitivity and specificity of the test, also laying an optimized setting for massive testing.

Seegene is also finalizing certification process for its variant diagnostic tests that can detect COVID-19 and screen multiple virus variants with a single multiplex real-time PCR testing, after having recently acquired a CE-IVD mark.

Also in attendance of the ceremony was Martha Delgado Peralta, Undersecretary for Multilateral Affairs and Human Rights at the Mexican Foreign Ministry, Juan Ferrer, the general director of INSABI, Korea's Ambassador to Mexico Suh Jeong-in, the head of the KOTRA regional office for Latin America Kim Ki-joong as well as the General Director of Seegene Mexico. Vice Minister Peralta, at the event, expressed her appreciation to both Korean government and Seegene Mexico for the donation in times of need.

Seegene had previously donated COVID-19 diagnostic tests, refrigerators and face masks as it hopes to aid the Mexican government in suppressing the pandemic in early December.

The General Director of Seegene Mexico said the company will continue to fulfill its social responsibility in helping to contain the spread of the diseases.

Mexico's health ministry reported a total of 2,250,458 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 204,147 accumulated death's as of the first Sunday of April.