Faulty Chinese Testing Kits Hamper Fight Against Virus

MAJOR resources and time has been spent in procuring rapid testing kits from China, which have now failed to perform, leading to ICMR halting the use of these testing kits for two days.

- Geeta Mohan

Despite a mere 5 per cent accuracy rate in India, China continues to maintain that the kits were “verified”.

Officials in Chinese embassy told India Today TV, “The quality of test kits from China is verified.” Later, the Chinese embassy spokesperson Ji Rong wrote in a tweet, “Noticed reports concerning rapid testing kits. China attaches great importance to the quality of exported medical products. Will keep close communication with Indian concerned agency and provide necessary assistance.”

Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), the nation’s top biomedical research agency, halted testing for Covid-19 cases because of massive variation in test results, compounding the challenge to contain the pandemic.

The rapid test kits approved by the US Food and Drug Administration are not meant for early diagnosis, but only to be used for surveillance and monitoring trends, the ICMR had clarified. But, it seems like it has failed in carrying out surveillance as well.