TRNC Ministry of Health reacts to Near East Hospital claims: "There is no possibility test kits gave false positive results"

The TRNC Ministry of Health has responded to the claim made by the Near East Hospital that 'in the tests performed with some PCR kits, the COVID-19 tests of people infected with viruses such as Rhinovirus, Enterovirus and Influenza also appear positive.'

The Ministry in a statement said; "There cannot be such a possibility."  

Emphasizing that these tests are specifically aimed at detecting the SARSCOV-2 (COVID-19) virus and are not likely to show diseases with different genetic structures, the Ministry's official said that the test kits both used by the DNA Laboratory of the Ministry of Health are imported for use in external laboratories of the Pharmaceuticals and Pharmacy Department and that all the kits authorized, tried and approved.

The full statement of the Ministry of Health is as follows:

“RT PCR kits target specific gene regions in the genetic structure of SARS COV-2.

These gene regions are specific to SARSCOV-2 virus and have a very different genetic structure with other RNA viruses such as influenza, rhinovus, enterovirus, so these kits are not likely to give false positive results.

All kits, both used by the DNA Laboratory of the Ministry of Health and allowed to be imported by the Pharmaceuticals and Pharmacy Department for use in external laboratories, have CE-IVD (Compliance with European Quality Standards-Diagnostic Use) Certificate and specificity and sensitivity studies. are kits made and approved”.