DOH, FDA to approve only RT-PCR COVID-19 test kits

The Philippine government will refuse the importation and donation of COVID-19 test kits that lack approval from the Department of Health (DOH) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Only real-time-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) based test kits will be accepted, according to Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Brigido Dulay.

The FDA has already approved four types of RT-PCR test kits for commercial use, though a separate list indicates eight authorized product brands.

These authorized test kits originate from countries including China, South Korea, Singapore, and Germany.

The Chinese Embassy in Manila has also released a list of 20 COVID-19 test kit products approved by China's National Medical Products Administration.

In China, both nucleic acid testing kits and antibody testing kits are approved for commercial use, with nucleic acid testing being the primary method for detecting the novel coronavirus.

Nucleic acid testing offers a detection time of two to three hours and is noted for its strong specificity and high sensitivity.