TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Research and Technology Minister Bambang Brodjonegoro said his ministry was developing test kits for the initial screening and diagnosis of the coronavirus disease or COVID-19 in the country.

“We have been producing test kits that can be used in Indonesia,” Bambang said on Monday, April 6.

According to Bambang, the consortium led by the Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT) has been developing the COVID-19 non-PCR diagnostic tests and the COVID-19 PCR diagnostic tests or PCR-based test kits.

Within one month, the consortium planned to develop mobile test kits for the PCR-based COVID-19 diagnostic tests. “This is similar to mobile BSL-2 (biosafety laboratory level 2) to support the swab examination in areas that lack microchip rapid diagnostic tests,” he claimed

Bambang reiterated that the test kits would be produced up to 100,000 units in the next one to two months. The test kits will scan for the coronavirus quickly in a short period of 5-10 minutes with an accuracy rate of around 75 percent.

However, Bambang said false-negative results were possible given the antibody that emerged six days after infection. So the test must not be carried out solely but followed-up with a PCR screening.

Meanwhile, the antigen-based microchip rapid diagnostic tests can detect the COVID-19 from the second day of infection. The microchips are reportedly ready for use and it will take 4 months for the production, Bambang added.

FRISKI RIANA