Warnings of Fake Rapid Covid Test Kits

Residents should be wary of bogus or ineffective Covid-19 fast test kits, according to the Lao National Taskforce for Covid-19 Prevention and Control.

After the government allowed their usage in Laos on September 25, sales of Rapid Test Kits swamped social media.

However, during a National Taskforce announcement today, Dr. Lattanaxay Phetsouvanh, Director-General of the Ministry of Health's Department of Communicable Disease Control, noted that health officials are concerned about bogus test kits being marketed online.

“Until now, authorities have only used quick Covid-19 tests in emergency cases and during expert medical services,” Dr. Lattanaxay explained.

“Online merchants, notably on social media, have begun selling fast test kits without regard for quality or effectiveness,” stated Director-General Lattanaxay.

Fake quick test kits have been discovered in other nations, according to him, with some counterfeit test kits merely yielding a negative result.

“We ask everyone to use only quick test kits that have not been approved by the Ministry of Health,” Dr. Lattanaxay said, adding that Laos will only allow the use of rapid tests that have been approved by the World Health Organization (WHO) and are listed on the WHO's Emergency Use List.

Meanwhile, Dr. Lattanaxay expressed concern over the correct disposal of test kits in order to avoid infecting others.

Last Monday, Laos formally stated that it had permitted the use of quick Covid-19 testing, after strictly prohibiting the use of such kits since the start of the Covid-19 outbreak.

As the number of cases rises in the capital, health officials in Laos acknowledge that the use of fast test kits is useful in the long run, producing results in 15 to 20 minutes and reducing laboratory workload.