The Swedish public health agency has recently discovered that faulty commercial COVID-19 test kits bought from China gave out 4,000 false positive results.
According to Swedish media, the error was discovered in two laboratories where sampled persons tested positive to the virus based on self-sampled PCR tests. Authorities discovered several weeks later that the individuals never actually had COVID-19 even though the PCR test was supposed to detect the presence of the virus.
Both laboratories, NPC at Karolinska institute and private ABC labs analyzed rapid tests from Chinese made kits between mid-March and August.
According to the head of the Swedish Public Health Agency, Karin Tegmark Wisell, the laboratories discovered that the test kits purchased from China did not meet the stated standard, leading to the false test results, numbering about 4,000.
See Also: How Tecno Sold Millions Of Malware Infected Phones To Africans – Upstream
The new discovery has affected Sweden’s coronavirus statistics which is expected to fall exponentially.
According to Wisell, “To some extent, it has the effect that statistics at the national level fall by a corresponding number. These individuals will receive a new test result with the fact that they were probably false positive.”
He stated that people from nine regions were affected across the country and promised that the labs will do their best to locate all the affected individuals and inform them of the development.
Sweden joins European countries like Spain, Turkey, and the Netherlands who have had issues with COVID-19 test kits bought from China.