Rappler
FDA approves 5 coronavirus rapid test kits
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved five rapid test kits for COVID-19, allowing for faster detection of the virus.
These point-of-care test kits are registered for use in countries with reliable regulatory agencies, including China and Singapore.
Additionally, the FDA approved the SARS Cov2 kit from Abbott Laboratories, a PCR-based test that can detect the virus in just five minutes.
FDA Director General Eric Domingo advised caution in using the rapid test kits, emphasizing that they measure antibodies and not the viral load.
Domingo stressed the importance of trained health professionals evaluating and interpreting the results of these rapid tests.
A confirmatory PCR-based test is still necessary even after a rapid test yields a result.
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The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved for commercial use the first locally manufactured COVID-19 testing kit, the GenAmplify™ Corona Virus 2019 (COVID-19) rRT PCR Detection Kit, developed by University of the Philippines (UP) scientists.
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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).
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The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) has allotted P53.2 million for the local development of COVID-19 test kits by the University of the Philippines-National Institute of Health (UP-NIH).
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The Office of the Presidential Assistant for the Visayas (OPAV) warned the public against purchasing fake and unapproved COVID-19 test kits, especially those sold online.
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The Department of Health (DOH) has received a donation of 100,000 test kits for COVID-19 from the Chinese government.
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