South Korean antigen kits fail RITM testing

MANILA, Philippines — The COVID-19 antigen test kit from South Korea, sold as SD Biosensor, failed to pass the diagnostic performance test the government conducted based on the standards of the World Health Organization, which says such kits should have 80-percent sensitivity and 97-percent specificity, according to Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire.

Based on evaluation conducted by the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM), SD Biosensor only posted 71-percent sensitivity, which is below the 80-percent norm of the health agency.

The RITM is still evaluating two other antigen tests from the United States.

—Tina G. Santos

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