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Sensitivity levels of saliva Covid self-test kits over 90%, says health DG

Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah says details of the guidelines for usage are expected to be ready by next week.

Bernama
1 minute read
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The use of saliva-based self-test kits will do away with the need to go to a health facility for initial Covid-19 screening, says health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.
The use of saliva-based self-test kits will do away with the need to go to a health facility for initial Covid-19 screening, says health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.

Studies by the Medical Research Institute have found that two self-test devices (Rapid Antigen tests) that use saliva for Covid-19 screening have sensitivity levels of above 90%.

Health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the studies by IMR had been completed and that the details of the guidelines for the use of the self-test kits were expected to be ready next week.

“The MDA (Medical Device Authority) is detailing the usage guidelines and Insha Allah (God willing) it will be completed next week,” he said in a Twitter post today.

In May, Noor Hisham said there were two companies offering the test kits for sale at local pharmacies.

He said through the use of the saliva test kits, individuals would not need to go to a health facility for an initial screening to detect Covid-19.