Philippine News Agency
OPAV warns public on 'fake' Covid-19 test kits sold online
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.
Secretary Michael Lloyd Dino of OPAV stated that the 'Wondfo' SARS-CoV Antibody Test is not an approved kit by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and is intended for laboratory use, not point-of-care.
Dino urged the public not to buy any test kits marketed for COVID-19, emphasizing that the government is solely responsible for procuring these kits and currently holds the exclusive COVID-19 testing capacity.
The Department of Health (DOH) has five sub-national laboratories operational for COVID-19 testing, including the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center in Visayas, alongside the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM).
Additional testing laboratories are planned to be established in Iloilo City, Bacolod City, and Eastern Visayas.
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