The Spanish Government requested the implementation of the new short tests for the prevention of the coronavirus pandemic in the country, however, the results were unconfivoyable when it was found that its effectiveness does not meet the compromised standard, as noted by some of the country’s microbiology laboratories.
The Carlos III Institute of Health was one of the first to speak out regarding the bad results: “It has detected a sensitivity that does not correspond to what is established in the technical sheet,” he added, in addition, from the institute mentioned that they sent an order for the tests to be withdrawn and replaced, he assigned the newspaper El País. From the same health institute they mentioned that rapid tests “indicate a sensitivity of less than 30% and a specificity of 100% in populations attending the emergencies of hospitals where the percentage of positivity of the PCR is 84% and of health workers in which the percentage of positivity is 50%”, they add, in addition to mentioning that “these results would prevent their introduction on a routine”.
From the seIMC scientific society (Spain) they assure that there are other techniques and “formats that require fluorescent reading”, and that they are currently “pending to be evaluated”, they argue.
As a result, SEIMC adds that while these tests can be used to discard and provide rapid diagnostics, so the cases will have to be referred to the PCR – current test being applied in the country – in case these were negative, since the margin of error of the test is high: “Currently the PCR remains the test of choice for the processing of a large number of samples”, they add.
Finally, referring to the increase in cases in Spain that has already exceeded 4,000 deaths from the global emergency of COVID.19, the scientific society added that a “rapid diagnosis of such cases at the hospital level is relevant to quickly identifying, isolating and treating patients”, also facilitates “the decongestion of emergencies”, they confess.
“To do this we need quick tests with high sensitivity,” they add, as “they are very necessary.”
Testing imported from China was developed by Zhenzhen-based Bioeasy, one of the most technology-friendly regions in the country.
Via Twitter: @SaludISCIII
