The Food and Drug Administration on Friday warned the public against buying COVID-19 DIY test kits sold online as they have “very low reliability and accuracy.”
FDA Director General and Health Usec. Eric Domingo told DZMM COVID-19 testing kits sold online are not approved by the agency.
“Pinag-iingat po namin sila… Wala pong ganitong mga produktong registered sa FDA at pag ginamit nila ay hindi naman po natin masisigurado ang quality nito at accuracy,” he said.
(We are warning them. These are not registered with the FDA, and if they use it, we cannot guarantee the quality and accuracy of the results.)
“Ang test po na mga instant, kung totoo man po siya ay very low po ang reliability at accuracy ng mga ito,” he said.
(Those tests which give instant results, if true, have very low reliability and accuracy.)
Domingo said the four brands of testing kits from South Korea and China, which the FDA recently approved for commercial are for government and private hospitals only.
“Sa mga ospital at sa mga laboratory lang siya puwede ibenta kasi hindi naman siya instant do-it-yourself kit,” he said.
(These can only be sold to hospitals and laboratories because these are not instant do it yourself kits.)
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FDA warns public against DIY COVID-19 test kits sold online
“Kailangan ang Department of Health (DOH) ay magde-designate ng mga laboratory kung saan maaari nang gamitin itong mga test kits na ito,” he said.
(The Department of Health needs to designate laboratories where the tests can be used.)
Domingo also said the DOH is expected to authorize more hospitals to process COVID-19 tests next week.
As of March 19, the Philippines recorded a total of 217 confirmed cases of pandemic COVID-19 with 17 fatalities.
However, thousands of suspected coronavirus carriers have yet to be tested due to the lack of test kits in the country.