Phoenix TV:
Some media reports said that some of the COVID-19 test kits exported from China are not so accurate. What is the actual situation? Thank you.
Zhang Qi:
Thank you for your question. If you have been following the media reports, you may have noticed that at the regular press conference held by the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs on March 30, the spokesperson responded to the issue that China recommended qualified companies to foreign buyers via diplomatic channels, and we haven't received any complaints from the buyers about the products purchased via the above-mentioned channels.
Next, I will give an introduction to COVID-19 test kits approved by the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA). First, we sped up the approval process to ensure adequate supply. As of March 31, the NMPA has approved 25 test kits in response to the emergency, including 17 nucleic acid test kits and eight antibody test kits. In terms of manufacturing capacity, we can produce 3.06 million nucleic acid test kits and 1.2 million antibody test kits per day. The overall daily capacity has reached 4.26 million.
Second, the quality of the test kits is guaranteed. Since the outbreak, China has utilized a large number of test kits for clinical diagnosis, and they were proven to have good sensitivity and specificity, which met clinical needs and effectively worked during the epidemic prevention and control process.
Third, it is advisable to strictly follow the instructions on using the test kits. Ms. Jiang Fan just now also mentioned this point. The testing reagents that received emergency NMPA approval are divided into two categories, namely, nucleic acid test kits and antibody test kits. The latter are used either as a supplementary testing method for suspected cases whose nucleic acid tests are negative, or are used along with the nucleic acid test in the diagnosis of suspected cases. The antibody test kits can't be used for the confirmation and exclusion of COVID-19 infections, nor are they suitable for screening ordinary people. They can only be used by medical authorities. All of these are clearly stated on the instruction sheet. Please pay special attention to the usage instructions. We hope the media can also help promote the information.
Recently, based on the previous search channels, the NMPA has specifically sorted the registration information of five categories of anti-epidemic medical devices, including COVID-19 test kits, surgical masks, medical protective clothing, ventilators, and infrared thermometers. For further information, please check on the related section on NMPA's website. Thank you.
Mi Feng:
Thank you. Many media friends may still feel concerned about how China prevents imported cases. We will continue to focus on the issue of preventing imported cases according to the law in tomorrow's press conference. We will invite the officials with the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China, the Civil Aviation Administration of China, and the National Immigration Bureau to take questions from the media. We look forward to your continued attention.
Today's press conference is hereby concluded; thank you all.
Translated and edited by Zhu Bochen, Wang Yanfang, Xiang Bin, Li Xiao, Duan Yaying, Li Huiru, Wu Jin, Fan Junmei, Mi Xingang, Huang Shan, Zhang Junmian, Wang Yiming, Gong Yingchun, He Shan, Wang Qian, Zhang Liying, Liu Qiang, Yang Xi, Lin Liyao, Zhang Jiaqi, Guo Xiaohong, Zheng Chengqiong, David Ball, Scott Rainen. In case of any dispute over a discrepancy, the Chinese version is deemed to prevail.
