• Lancet CEO says the disparities can arise due to differences in the concentration of material in the sample tested and also the sensitivity of the assays used.
• Some Meru activists and residents have been accusing the county government of creating fear among residents.
The medical council has exonerated Kenya's biggest private pathologist, Lancet, in a row over discordant Covid-19 tests.
Some patients who tested positive at Lancet have been issued with negative results by other laboratories.
Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council inspected Lancet's facilities and procedures between June 23 and June 26.
KMPDC chairperson Eva Njenga, in the final report released on Wednesday, said Lancet was using superior test kits and reagents, which produced more sensitive tests.
The council said those who re-tested negative in other laboratories were probably still sick with Covid-19, only that the viral load was less detectable.
"Lancet tests for three SARS-COV-2 genes whereas other laboratories in the country could be testing for two genes thereby creating possible discordant results from other laboratories," Njenga said in a report seen by Star.
She added, “The testing carried out by Lancet meets all the quality requirements expected including qualified and duly licensed personnel, validated and approved kits."
Last month, 13 Safaricom Meru branch staff who received Covid-19 positive results from Lancet tested negative at the Government Chemist.
Health executive Misheck Mutuma said, “We immediately took the samples to the Government Chemist after they protested the outcome and they were tested two times and none was positive."
Lancet CEO Ahmed Kalebi said they have carried out an extensive review and audit of the results, confirming that the positive results are accurate.
“Lancet acknowledges the discordance between our positive results and results from the other labs. We’ve also shared independent research studies and evaluations which have demonstrated that positive test results from the Seegene Allplex™️ assay can be missed by other assays (such as those used by various labs in Kenya),” Kalebi said.
Kalebi noted that the disparities can arise due to differences in the concentration of material in the sample tested and also the sensitivity of the assays used.
“We conduct quality control checks on all our tests and have also undertaken international external quality assurance for Covid-19 to verify the accuracy of our testing,” he said.
He said Lancet laboratory has undergone external audits, inspection and investigations by government agencies including the National Covid-19 Command Centre, KMPDC, the Kenya Medical Laboratory Technicians and Technologists Board (KMLTTB) and the National Assembly Health committee.
He recommends that anyone with a positive result who is asymptomatic should isolate and retest if clinically indicated. Retesting can be done after a few days up to a week to check for viral clearance.
On June 17 the Ministry of Health constituted an inspection team of experts to carry out investigations into the issue.
Some Meru activists and residents have been accusing the county government of creating fear among residents. Others claim the announcements are made to solicit funds from donors and the international community.
Political activist Salecio Thuranira cast aspersions on the county government, claiming that it had victimised and harassed the Safaricom staff "when all of them had been Covid-19 negative from day one".
Edited by R.Wamochie