[ransomnote]

Wonder if you could get coronavirus from contaminated kits if a "probe" or "primer" is used to collect swabs from your mouth? Maybe those aren't names for things to which patients are exposed - hope not.

[realcleanguy]

This is not good

[HighSierra5]

Don’t tell me..China.

[TexasGator]

I suspect that it would not be infective.

[Secret Agent Man]

Covid-19 testing kits coming contaminated with covid-19

Not a big selling point....

[glasseye]

“Key components ordered from overseas”?
Is this ‘code’ for ‘crap made in China’?
Asking for a friend.

[Wilhelm Tell]

Probably used (contanimated) parts being sold as new.

[dfwgator]

I’m Shocked, Just Shocked! /s

[tennmountainman]

Intentional?

[noiseman]

Good luck with that new iPhone.

[bitt]

P

[little jeremiah]

Key components ordered from overseas for the tests were found to contain traces of the virus earlier this week.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Where “overseas”, pray tell? China, by any chance?

[dadfly]

real simply just to give you an idea:

“probe” is a chemical that attaches to the target replicated allow the test to receive a some sort of chemical mechanism for identifying test outcome. could be something like a color.

primer attaches to the gene or base pair location that will start the sequence to be tested or replicated to amplify the suspected presence of the virus. it’s the amplification that gives the probe it’s power and sensitivity to detect.

any contamination renders the test always positive and completely useless.

so they are no danger to patients or workers.

hope that helps

[DannyTN]

I wonder if it’s generating false positives, giving the impression of more cases that have no or mild symptoms.

[catnipman]

“ordered from overseas”

the U.S. is not having to do that ... but orange man bad ...

[MIA_eccl1212]

These kits were probably manufactured in China for distribution to the West.
I think China has committed an act of war and it was premeditated against the West and the United States.

It is after all, their way to save face.

[Sequoyah101]

Must be taking lessons from CDC. Good job.

Sign seen on CDC vehicle, “Don’t follow me. I’m lost!”

CDC Center for Dazed and Confused

[lepton]

And this type of thing is one of the reasons it takes so long to actually deploy test kits, and why certification still needs to happen.

[Revel]

Now wait a minute. I thought that the virus dissipated from non living objects in no more than 3 days. So how can test kits be contaminated for more than 3 days.

[Fresh Wind]

Probably a different problem, but...

https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2020/mar/30/china-challenges-the-world-with-flawed-covid-19-te/

[not_under_duress]

What are they using to test the test kits?