'Made in China' COVID-19 Test Kits Spark 'Defect' Controversy Worldwide

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Shinwon Yoon] Tens of thousands of imported Chinese-made novel coronavirus (COVID-19) test kits at a U.S. university were found to be contaminated, leading to a suspension of their use.

According to Tribune News Service on the 21st, Washington University School of Medicine in the U.S. ordered $125,000 worth of test kits from a medical company in Shanghai, China, amid a shortage of COVID-19 test kits in the U.S.

However, on the 16th, a university official discovered abnormalities in the COVID-19 test kits imported from China. They found that the liquid inside the glass vials used to store samples taken from suspected COVID-19 patients had changed from pink to yellow or orange, indicating bacterial growth in the liquid.

Although discoloration was found only in some of the kits, the university decided to recall all tens of thousands of COVID-19 test kits that had been distributed to health authorities and laboratories.

An official involved in facilitating the import stated, "The Chinese company is doing its best to resolve the issue and will refund the problematic COVID-19 test kits."

Previously, defective Chinese-made COVID-19 test kits imported by Spain, the Czech Republic, Turkey, and the Philippines also caused controversy and led to returns.

Hong Kong media reported that many factories of Chinese companies producing medical supplies such as masks have poor hygiene management, resulting in a series of recalls of medical supplies exported from China.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.