In response to doubts regarding the ability of tests to detect the British variant, the Syndicate of Medical Laboratory Owners urges a halt to the speculation and doubts about its capability to identify the British variant and other strains.
The Syndicate of Medical Laboratories confirmed that all the available tests in Lebanon can detect the British variant or any other prevalent strains, calling for an end to ongoing speculation and doubts in this regard. The National News Agency reported a statement from the syndicate affirming that all tests available are capable of identifying the British variant or other circulating strains, explaining that the change in the genetic code within the British variant means one target for the virus, the GENE S. Meanwhile, the operating tests target different genes and are certainly capable of detecting any virus through this method.
The syndicate also highlighted the ministerial committee composed of laboratory specialists, which was formed in the early days of the pandemic (Ministerial Decision 358/1 dated March 3, 2020), and tasked with overseeing the licensed laboratories conducting COVID-19 tests in terms of licensing and regularly monitoring their performance. It clarified that these laboratories undergo external quality assessments in coordination with the World Health Organization (WHO) to evaluate the results they produce and ensure their accuracy and validity.
The report added that based on the recommendations of Minister Dr. Hamad Hassan, the committee has been entrusted to investigate all imported tests before they enter the markets to review their specifications and verify that they are listed on the WHO or US FDA lists as a first step, and then evaluate them in laboratories designated by the committee, emphasizing the necessity of obtaining prior approval regarding the quality of the test, whatever it may be, before importing it.
The syndicate concluded its statement by calling for an end to excessive speculation and theories that contribute to unnecessary negative atmospheres, noting that the matter is technical and is being monitored carefully and scientifically by the specialized ministerial syndicate committee, especially in these critical times Lebanon is facing.
It should be noted that Dr. George Joufilykian, head of the intensive care unit at the Roum Hospital, previously indicated that PCR tests in Lebanon may not detect the British variant of the coronavirus, pointing out that many of the tests which returned negative results in recent days may in fact be positive, and their owners may be infected with the variant. He indicated that this contributed to the recent rampant spread of the virus.
