Do not pay for any COVID-19 test, NCDC warns

The Nigeria Center for Disease Control, NCDC, has warned Nigerians not to pay for any Coronavirus COVID-19 test.

The centre also warned that Rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) are not reliable for COVID-19 test for now.

According to the NCDC only molecular tests are definitive and are done in NCDC centres for now.

The NCDC also said that it is working hard to expand its testing capacity for #COVID19 from six laboratories to 13 in the next three weeks.

Currently, there are 6 labs in Nigeria with capacity to test for #COVID19. We aim to scale up to 13 labs in next 3 weeks the NDCD said on Sunday

The NCDC said: ‘We’re working hard to expand our testing capacity for #COVID19 Currently, there are 6 labs in Nigeria with capacity to test for #COVID19. We aim to scale up to 13 labs in next 3 weeks In progress- Abakaliki, Maiduguri, Kano, Sokoto, Port-Harcourt, Jos, Kaduna

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1. staying home. 2. Only molecular tests are definitive and done in those centres for now 3. Hand hygiene 4. Covid19 not airborne 5. Rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) are not reliable for now and people should not be paying for any test in any FactNotFear

No Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) kit for #COVID19 has been validated. We are aware of validation studies going on. Until these are completed, we cannot procure RDTs, because we do not know if they work.

The #COVID19 test reagents which Nigeria has received & procured recently can only be used for PCR tests in existing molecular laboratories There have been important developments such as use of Gene-Xpert machines. We‘re also expanding our testing capacity using this technology