Indian medical body asks states to stop using COVID-19 test kits from 2 Chinese firms
14:44, 27/04/2020, MondayU: Update: 16:18, 27/04/2020, Monday
REUTERS
A health workers displays a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) testing kit at a screening and isolation field hospital at a soccer stadium in the town of Machakos, in Machakos county, Kenya, April 22, 2020. Picture taken April 22, 2020. REUTERS/Baz Ratner
India's federal medical research agency on Monday asked state government to stop using coronavirus testing equipment brought from China because of conflicting results.
More than half a million kits for testing for antibodies to coronavirus were ordered from China this month as a way to ramp up India's screening. But the Indian Council of Medical Research said several states had complained about the quality of the equipment from two firms and these need to be sent back to China.
"ICMR, thereafter, has also evaluated the kits of Guangzhou Wondfo Biotech and Zhuhai Livzon Diagnostics. The results have shown wide variation in their sensitivity, despite early promise of good performance for surveillance purposes."
"In view of this, States are advised to stop using these kits procured from above mentioned companies and return them to be sent back to the suppliers," it said.
