BEIJING — Researchers from China's armed forces have been carrying out emergency scientific research for the battle against the novel coronavirus, mainly in terms of virus detection and source tracing, epidemic control and patient treatment, as well as drug development, a Central Military Commission (CMC) official said on March 2. 

Chen Jingyuan, health division director of the Logistical Support Department of the CMC, made the remarks at a press conference on the armed forces' help in the country's epidemic prevention and control.

Health research organizations of the military have taken the lead in undertaking emergency scientific research projects commissioned by the Ministry of Science and Technology, and sent military medical experts to Wuhan, the epicenter city of the virus outbreak, to conduct scientific research and advise on epidemic prevention and control, Chen said.

Among the progress, a nucleic acid test kit co-developed by the Academy of Military Medical Sciences was granted a medical device registration certificate following an emergency examination and approval on Jan 28 by the National Medical Products Administration, the official said, adding that a newly-developed express antibody detection kit passed production registration review on March 1 and was put into clinical application.

A health center affiliated with the Chinese People's Liberation Army General Hospital has adopted a method of integrating traditional Chinese medicine with Western medicine for treating novel coronavirus infections, which is safe and effective according to preliminary research, he said.

Researchers with the military are fast-tracking work relevant to drug and antibody development, vaccine research and virus source tracing, according to the official.