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As the United States attempts to ramp up testing for the novel coronavirus COVID-19, 12,000 tests have been recalled in the state of Washington, according to a report from CNN.com.
The state’s Department of Health was notified by the University of Washington Medicine that there were issues that may have resulted in some contamination. However, it is not believed that any contamination would be a danger to patients.
“Though the quality control issue has only been observed in a small number of tubes of viral transport media, we adhere to the highest quality standards for COVID-19 testing in Washington state,” Secretary of Health John Wiesman said, via KIRO-TV.
“We are working with our partners to have them discard the product and will work to replace them as quickly as we can.”
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The coronavirus mainly comes from animals and a majority of those who were infected early either worked at or frequently visited the Huanan seafood wholesale market in Wuhan, according to The Guardian. The virus is similar to Severe acute respiratory syndrome (Sars) and Middle Eastern respiratory syndrome (Mers).
The Wuhan coronavirus is transmitted from person to person through “droplet transmission.” That means an infected person can pass the virus by sneezing or coughing on another person as well as by direct contact.
While a majority of the cases have been detected in the United States and China — with more than 41,000 deaths in the United States — it has now reached many countries around the world. It has also been confirmed in Italy, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, and many other eastern countries.
