Rakuten Launches Coronavirus Test Kit
Japanese e-commerce giant Rakuten has started selling a coronavirus testing kit for use by companies and organizations in Tokyo and the four neighboring prefectures of Saitama, Chiba, Kanagawa and Ibaraki.
The firm says the kit, launched on Monday, is being offered as a "risk assessment option to those who show no specific symptoms but are concerned about the spread of the virus."
It says the kit is not designed for medical diagnosis, but can be used as a reference for determining whether an employee should self-isolate.
Rakuten recommends anybody who already has symptoms to follow health ministry guidelines.
The test involves taking a sample via a nasal swab, which should then be sealed in a container and placed in a collection box at their workplace.
The sample will be sent to a laboratory to see whether it contains a genetic sequence specific to the new coronavirus. Results will be available within three days.
The kit costs about 140 dollars, with the minimum order set at 100 units. Rakuten plans to sell it across a wider area from May.
