A medical worker with the Hanyang district center of disease control takes a throat swab sample for a COVID-19 nucleic acid test from a construction worker on Thursday in Wuhan, Central China's Hubei Province. The tests will enhance public health security as the city resumes production. Photo: cnsphoto

China's National Health Commission (NHC) has issued a slew of orders to ensure the quality of nucleic acid tests, which include raising the requirements for the relevant labs and training of nucleic acid testing personnel.

The measures were issued against the backdrop of virus prevention becoming the new normal in China, said the document released by NHC, noting that great importance must be attached to the quality of nucleic acid tests. 

To ensure their quality, authorities must enhance quality control of nucleic acid test as cities nationwide increase the speed and quantity of nucleic acid tests. Relevant departments must also guarantee and enhance registration and entry access of labs with nucleic acid test ability. 

Any lab found to have problematic nucleic acid test results or unqualified conditions will be banned from conducting such tests, reads the document. 

The document also stressed that training of personnel carrying out nucleic acid tests must be enhanced. 

With the spread of the virus being curbed in China, cities all over the country are speeding up nucleic acid tests for its residents. Wuhan, the Chinese city hit hardest by the virus, announced the results of its 10-day citywide test results on Tuesday, during which 300 asymptomatic patients were found out of 9.89 million tested.

In order to ensure the tests' accuracy, the Wuhan health authority dispatched experts to supervise work at the city's nucleic acid test spots; after 35,961 samples were re-checked, no discrepancies with the previous results were found, said Zhang Dingyu, head of Jinyintan Hospital.

The northeastern city of Mudanjiang in Heilongjiang Province will also launch a citywide virus testing drive, the local government said on its website, after finding over a dozen asymptomatic cases.

Global Times