COVID-19 Test Kits Used at US White House, "False Positive Rate Up to 48%"

by Lee Hyunwoo

Published 14 May.2020 09:37(KST)

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] A study has revealed that the false negative rate of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) test kits used by most U.S. government officials, including those at the White House, reaches up to 48%. These test kits were previously promoted by former U.S. President Donald Trump, who praised their accuracy.

According to foreign media such as The New York Times (NYT) on the 13th (local time), a research team from Langone Hospital under New York University announced that the false negative rate of the rapid test kits produced by Abbott, which are used nationwide including at the White House, reaches up to 48%. The research team collected samples from 101 suspected COVID-19 patients and compared the positive detection results between Abbott's test kits and more precise diagnostic devices. They found that Abbott's test kits missed more than one-third of positive cases, recording a false negative rate as high as 48%.

In response to the study, Abbott issued a statement saying, "More than 1.8 million test kits have been used so far, and the infection miss rate is only 0.02%." They also argued, "The NYU study results do not align with other testing studies, and it is unclear whether the samples in the study were tested correctly."

Abbott's test kits received emergency use authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on March 27 and are known to confirm COVID-19 infection status within 5 minutes. The test involves inserting a dry nasal swab into the nose to collect a sample for examination. This product was previously praised by President Trump for its accuracy and was directly promoted by the White House. It is known that most U.S. government officials, including President Trump, undergo regular testing with Abbott's test kits.