Qatar has been gone above and beyond in its fight against the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

For the past few months, the country has dedicated efforts to ensure the highest standards of monitoring, detection, and management of the infection, keeping the health and wellbeing of the population as a top priority.

As Qatar continues to combat the spread of the virus, it has introduced a new form of COVID-19 testing for the young ones.

In an announcement by the Ministry of Public Health today (MoPH), it was revealed that Qatar has become one of the first countries in the world to launch a new saliva-based COVID-19 test for all children who require a COVID-19 test.

The Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) has announced that Qatar has become one of the first countries in the world to launch of a new saliva-based COVID-19 test for all children who require a COVID-19 test. pic.twitter.com/6WygzPFfzl

— وزارة الصحة العامة (@MOPHQatar) September 14, 2020

According to the announcement, the saliva-based test is: 

- less intrusive for children as it does not require a swab to be inserted into the nose and back of the throat like the current standard swab.

- it can be easily completed by transferring saliva from the mouth into a sample pot.

- Studies around the world have been looking at the use of saliva only swabs and the results have confirmed their effectiveness.

Here's everything you need to know about COVID-19, including ways to protect yourself.

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Source: MoPH