Extraction kits being sourced

Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh said the ministry is reaching out to China, South Korea and Costa Rica to source extraction kits to be used with the 4,000 covid19 test kits which TT received from China. Deyalsingh also said medical supplies needed to treat covid19 continue to come into TT.

While there is no legal requirement for the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) to certify private labs, Deyalsingh appealed to those labs to become certified for covid19 testing, to ensure the testing done in TT “can stand global scrutiny.

At a virtual news conference on Thursday, Deyalsingh said, “The kits that came in from China, did not have the extraction kits.” He said the ministry is liasing with the Chinese government, through its embassy in TT “ to source extraction kits”. Deyalsingh continued, “We are also working with other entities, South Korea and Costa Rica to source extraction kits that are compatible with the kits that we have.”

Chief Medical Officer Dr Roshan Parasram said the absence of the extraction kits do not mean the 4,000 test kits are defective. “The kits are still viable.” He explained that CARPHA is able to do covid19 testing using extractor kits that it has.

On Wednesday, Deyalsingh was hoping extraction kits would arrive in TT within the next ten to 14 days. On the supply of medical stocks to treat covid19 patients, Deyalsingh said, “So we seem to be and we are well stocked with everything across the board.” He added, “We have on a rolling basis, stock coming in every couple of days or every week.”

At a meeting with the National Insurance Property Development Company on Wednesday, Deyalsingh said “no red flags were raised” regarding covid19 medical supplies.

On the certification of private labs in TT to do covid19 testing, Deyalsingh said, “ It is not a legal requirement. What we are asking is that this is a national effort and the database that we have to compile has to be able to stand scrutiny.” He added that Parasram has publicly said some of the test results being received from private labs are incorrect.

Deyalsingh said, “A false positive test is not a tragedy. That person may self quarantine.” He warned there is a real danger of false negative tests. “When somebody has a false negative they are of the view that they are covid free and they start their own pyramids of infections.”

He urged the labs to voluntarily get certified only for covid19 testing. “We are not asking them to get validated for everything that they do.” Quoting US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director Dr Anthony Fauci, Deyalsingh said, “The only worse than no test, is a bad test.”

Deyalsingh said it takes approximately 1,817 pieces of personal protective equipment (PPE) to treat one covid19 patient. He said this includes 158 headcaps, 30 face shields and 90 N95 masks.