COVID-19 test kits from China used by DOH only 40% accurate

MANILA, Philippines — Some coronavirus disease (COVID-19) testing kits donated by China were not used because of the lack of its accuracy, the Department of Health (DOH) said.

DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the testing kits only showed 40 percent accuracy compared to the testing kits from the World Health Organization (WHO).

“Sa kaso po nga mga test kits from China, sabay pong isinasagawa ang test kits mula sa China at ang test kits ng WHO gamit po ang parehong sample o specimens na nailagay. Kapag pareho po ang resulta ay inirerekomenda po nating gamitin,” Vergeire said Saturday in a press briefing.

(In the case of the testing kits from China, both were used with the same sample or specimens with the ones from WHO. If it showed the same result, we recommend the usage of this.)

“Sa mga nauna na ipinadala na test kits sa amin from China na nakapagpakita ng 40 percent accuracy, hindi po natin ito ginamit,” Vergeire added.

(The first test kits from China only showed 40 percent of accuracy. We did not use this.)

The Chinese government earlier donated 100,000 testing kits to the Philippines.

Vergeire, however, did not specify how many of the said testing kits showed inaccurate results.

“Makakasiguro po ang ating mga kababayan na atin pong vinavalidate pa po ang mga donasyon na test kits bago po natin to gamitin. Nakikita po natin dito kung ano ang of-quality, kung ano po ang mababa ang kalidad at hindi dapat gamitin para sa ating mga kababayan,” Vergeire said.

(We assure our countrymen that we validate the test kits donated to us before they are used. We see which test kits are of quality, with low quality and should not be used for our countrymen.)

Earlier, officials in Spain said testing kits it bought from a Chinese company had a low accuracy rate, citing “substandard” quality.

EDV