As many as 10,000 coronavirus test kits from China found faulty
Health Ministry inspecting whether discolored liquid could impact veracity of test results
By MAAYAN JAFFE-HOFFMANA medical technologist tests a respiratory panel at Northwell Health Labs, where the same test will be used on the COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, in Lake Success, New York(photo credit: REUTERS/SHANNON STAPLETON)
Magen David Adom was forced to stop testing for coronavirus on Wednesday for over an hour after it was discovered that the patented liquid into which the testing sticks need to be dipped before a screening can be administered was potentially faulty, Shafir Botner, director of Magen David Adom’s paramedic education school, told The Jerusalem Post.The liquid was part of a testing kit that had been purchased from China.Concern over the substance was raised when an employee at one of the labs noticed that the color obtained during the test was different than it was supposed to be. According to media reports, the health system believes that around 10,000 tests have been taken with this liquid in recent days and some – if not all – of these tests could have to be retaken.The health funds and MDA are currently awaiting a decision by the Health Ministry as to the next steps. In the meantime, they were asked only to use those test kits that they are confident are not faulty from known testing kit competitors.“In light of the fluid color changes in some of the test tubes, we recommend that you use only the systems produced by Biological Industries or NOMAD until we update otherwise,” the Health Ministry informed the health funds.Botner said that MDA checked in with all its drive-through, home testing and other facilities and quickly confirmed what tests they had available.“We took out what wasn’t compatible, and the test centers are working again,” he said, adding that MDA still expected to complete around 6,000 or 7,000 tests on Wednesday.Botner said that this is not the first time a fault in the testing kits has been discovered or that the testing centers or labs have been lacking a needed component to screen people.He reiterated that it is unclear if the liquid impacted the veracity of the results.“The important thing is that no one will have any misinformation,” Botner continued. “If someone needs to be re-swabbed, we will do it. There is nothing to worry about.”On April 20, 13,342 tests were taken, according to the Health Ministry, the highest number of tests in a single day to date.
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