Covid-19 rapid tests in Cyprus not as accurate as they could be, says specialist

[memory man]

Covid-19 rapid tests in Cyprus are not as accurate as they could be because of conditions under which they are carried out and legislation not abided, an expert told Philenews.

To start with, these tests are not designed to withstand the Mediterranean island’s moisture, extreme humidity or extreme temperatures, said Dr Pavlos Neophytou who is a professor at Cambridge University School of Clinical Medicine.

As well as a Specialist in Laboratory Medicine and Director of the Mendel Center for Biomedical Sciences.

He also said that Cyprus did not abide by relevant legislation on the way rapid tests should be carried out.

Because, he added, law 132 of 1988 stipulates that diagnostic tests must be performed in registered clinical laboratories and not in public places.

In addition, the Ministry of Health should have accepted bids only from approved clinical laboratories in the field of immunology, and a price ceiling should have been set.

https://in-cyprus.philenews.com/covid-1 ... pecialist/

[galexinda]

Technique plays an important part too - eg some places swab both nostrils and others just the one.

[Dominic]

Utter crap. (* I was referring to the original quote, not Galexinda's post!)

They used to follow up rapid tests with PCR tests. The only reason they stopped was because over 95% of the time, the PCR test matched the rapid test results. That alone is all you need to know about how accurate the rapid tests are in Cyprus. They have already been put through a live field test, so theoretical objections are irrelevant.