Singapore, 1 April 2020 - Biolidics Limited is pleased to announce that its rapid test kit for the Novel Coronavirus 2019 has, on 31 March 2020, obtained the relevant authorisation from the Food and Drug Administration of the Philippines for its rapid test kit to be used in the country.

   

On 31 March 2020, the Philippine Society for Microbiology and Infectious Diseases issued interim guidelines on the clinical management of adult patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 infection.

   

As part of the guidelines, all suspected cases of COVID-19 should undergo testing for COVID- 19 and one of the two tests is COVID-19 IgG and IgM Rapid Diagnostic Test kits. The guidelines also include guidance on the use and interpretation of rapid antibody-based testing kits for COVID-19.

   

Biolidics& rsquo rapid test kit is one of the few that combines both IgG/IgM antibody test for COVID- 19. Using serum, plasma or whole blood samples, Biolidics& rsquo rapid test kit can detect COVID- 19 with an accuracy of more than 95% in 10 minutes.

   

Biolidics& rsquo rapid test kit is generally used for the purpose of point-of-care testing (" POCT" ), which allows the diagnostic testing of COVID-19 to be performed in wide range of healthcare settings by clinical personnel who are not trained in clinical laboratory procedures. Notably, Biolidics' rapid test kit is simple-to-use and portable, hence it can be deployed where testing is needed most. The results from the test is not to be used for confirmatory testing or as sole basis for diagnosis. The results will have to be interpreted together with clinical presentation and are to be confirmed with supplementary testing.

   

Recently, Biolidics has obtained provisional authorisation from Singapore' s Health Science Authority for its rapid test kit to be used in Singapore on 27 March 2020.