PETALING JAYA: The Institute for Medical Research (IMR) has completed its studies on two rapid antigen Covid-19 self-test kits, health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said today.
In a brief Twitter post, he said both test kits were found to have a sensitivity of more than 90%.
“The Medical Device Authority (MDA) is detailing the user guide and (it) will be finished by next week,” he said.
In February, the IMR said it was studying the use of saliva and “deep throat saliva” to be used as samples to detect Covid-19, replacing swabs taken from the nose and throat.
This method is seen as important as it is “self-collected” and can save on the use of personal protective equipment (PPE).
The Philippines has already started using at-home, saliva-based Covid-19 test kits since February, distributed by MY EG Services Bhd (MYEG).-FMT