COVID 19: Noguchi, FDA to complete work on Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) kits this week

The Noguchi Memorial Institute and Food & Drugs Authority (FDA), are expected to complete work on Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) kits for the coronavirus disease (COVID 19) this week.

This, according to the Minister for Information, Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah will help enhance the country’s testing capacity and better determine the incidence rate.

So far over 100,000 tests have been conducted with 1,550 positive cases.

Speaking on Accra-based radio station, Citi FM, on Monday (April 27, 2020), Mr Oppong- Nkrumah said the RDTs when ready, will augment current surveillance testing protocols.

“This week we are expecting Noguchi, FDA and the experts to report on an RDT testing option to assist our surveillance. We are of the view that, that will help quicken an answer to the incidence rate in Ghana assuming that is the model or path that we want to add to our intervention.”

"Despite the fact that I am explaining the kind of framework or path we are using this week we are expecting them to report because it has already been discussed with them. They have already done some tests on which RDTs model is best and able to assist us. And we are expecting that when they are done with that they will report ... And then surveillance purposes we are thinking about how to augment what we are doing with that one" he explained.