Absolutely fake: COVID-19 test kits do not have positive, negative swabs to pre-determine result

New Delhi, June 02: A video is being shared on the social media with someone trying to demonstrate that COVID-19 testing kits are a sham.

In the video, it is shown that a person takes out a rapid antigen test kit and pulls out two different packets and on one packet it is written positive control while on the other it says negative control.

A post on Instagram says that PCR tests come with one positive and one negative result. Hence they can tell whatever they want it to be. These are created for controlled studies and to cheat in studies and get results they want. That is what a controlled study means. Still trust science, the user asks.

The kit that is being shown in the video is a Panbio COVID-19 Ag Rapid Test Device which is manufactured by Abbott. The positive and negative swabs are only taken for training and also testing the efficacy of this kit. These are not used for actual testing. The detailed procedure of testing while using this kit can be seen in the WHO document here:

Moreover the product literature clearly mentions that the purpose of the positive and negative control swabs is to ensure that the reagents work properly so that the results of the test are reliable. These testing kits also work on the basis of chemical reactions. Moreover there is a chance if these kits are not stored properly during the transportation process, the reagents in it may undergo chemical changes.

Most of the rapid antigen kits contain a positive and negative control swab. In this regard, the United States Food and Drug Administration had made a recommendation, which can be seen here:

Hence the claim being made in the viral video is fake as the rapid antigen rests are not pre-decided.

The positive and negative control swabs present in these kits are only meant to ensure that the testing devices work correctly and give correct results.