Coronavirus testing kits purchased by the UK are feared to have been contaminated

HEALTH authorities in the UK have expressed concerns about the quality of some coronavirus testing equipment supplied by Luxembourg company Eurofins amid fears that the consignment may be contaminated.

One of the most badly affected countries by the global pandemic, the UK has 25,150 cases of coronavirus, of which 1,789 have resulted in deaths. In a bid to address the crisis, British health secretary Matt Hancock, has ordered testing kits from abroad as part of a plan to organise 3.5m antibody tests, with 11,000 being carried out daily.

However, there are now fears that some of the key components in the kits ordered from Eurofins may be contaminated with the deadly virus. Eurofins, a is said to have already warned laboratories in the UK that delivery of parts referred to as probes and primers had been contaminated.

A Eurofins spokesman said: "In rare occasions, delays in some orders may occur if based on Eurofins Genomics stringent quality and environmental control procedures, manufacturing of a product may not meet the quality or purity criteria set by Eurofins Genomics. We are aware that contaminations have been observed by several primers and probes manufacturers around the world after they produced SARS-COV2 positive controls.

"Those initial problems can be easily resolved by proper cleaning and production segregation procedures."

A foreign office spokesman said that the issue can be resolved by proper cleaning but admitted the discovery would result in a delay in delivery. In the UK, prime minister Boris Johnson and Mr Hancock himself have both tested positive for coronavirus, as did heir to the throne Prince Charles, although he has since been cleared after going into self-isolation for 14 days.