Covid resurges amid varying test standards

The second wave of novel coronavirus has hit the country amid persisting doubts about the capability of the 26 private and government laboratories involved in conducting diagnostic tests for the disease in Punjab.

The Punjab Healthcare Commission has issued instructions to all laboratories across the province that serological test for Covid-19 is not acceptable without polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests and only testing kits approved under the European CE and United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) standards should be used.

An official letter stated that the novel coronavirus would be diagnosed only through PCR tests done by laboratories approved by the provincial healthcare commission. It made clear that serological tests cannot be used to diagnose Covid-19. However, in order to evaluate the severity of the disease and for plasma donors who have recovered from the infection, a PCR as well as a serological test would be conducted.

In addition, a person can benefit from the serological test only if he has tested negative more than once through the PCR test, and all the laboratories have to include the information in their reports. The results of the tests can be used for research with the approval of the Corona Expert Advisory Group.

In addition, permission from the commission is required before offering the test and its inspection teams will also check the laboratories. The commission warned that strict legal action would be taken in case of non-compliance with the directives.

It also took action against several private labs for not having complete facilities for coronavirus testing. It stopped one lab from testing suspected patients for coronavirus due to non-compliance with biosafety standards. The commission’s team conducted an inspection and found that the lab management had failed to comply with the safety standards for coronavirus tests because of inadequate disposal of waste and appointment of untrained staff.

In addition, the healthcare commission instructed all laboratories to seek external verification of sample results of coronavirus tests from the National Institute of Health.

In May, the commission stopped a diagnostic centre operating in a hospital in Nespak Society from conducting all types of tests. The action was taken on the charge of conducting the Covid-19 tests contrary to the instructions. All branches and collection centes of the lab in Punjab was also barred from taking samples for the diagnosis of coronavirus. The diagnostic entre was found conducting serological and other tests.

The laboratory is headquartered in the federal capital and samples were being sent to the central lab for the tests from four centres and 30 collection points in the province without the permission of the Punjab Healthcare Commission and in violation of its instructions.

The managers of the lab and hospital were ordered to appear before the commission for further proceedings.

The commission has also issued notices to three laboratories and initiated further action for conducting serological tests for the diagnosis of Covid-19.

It was informed that the laboratories were conducting serological tests to diagnose Covid-19, which was contrary to the directives of the commission and the health department. Orders have been issued to officials of the laboratories to appear before the commission. In addition, they have been stopped from conducting serological tests for Covid-19.

The provincial commission has also stopped a diagnostic centre in Multan from conducting all types of tests. The centre was not registered with the commission and was conducting tests for Covid-19 in violation of instructions issued by the government in this regard.

The commission’s team conducted an inspection and found that the lab had performed serological tests to diagnose coronavirus. In addition, it had not obtained registration with the Punjab Healthcare Commission as per legal requirements.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 4^th, 2020.