12,000 Covid-19 testing kits recalled in Washington state, officials cite possible contamination

The Washington State Department of Health has recalled 12,000 Covid-19 testing kits sent to local and tribal governments, after being alerted that the kits may have a quality control issue.

The recall was issued on Saturday after the University of Washington notified state health officials that the coloring of the fluid that preserves a specimen during transport, known as viral transport media, appeared to be abnormal.

State officials say they don't believe the tests put patients at risk, considering patients don't come into direct contact with the viral transport media. Additionally, the Covid-19 test results are not believed to have been impacted at this time.

However, officials say an investigation is ongoing and that the recall was issued "out of an abundance of caution."

According to a press release from the state Department of Health, "state supplies aren’t adequate at the moment to immediately replace all swabs and [viral transport media] tubes, however, a large shipment of swabs from another vendor is expected this week and the state has [viral transport media] from another vendor."

The testing kits distributed by the state Department of Health were procured by UW Medicine and manufactured by Lingen Precision Medical Products, which is based in Shanghai, China. State officials say they're working to replace the kits as quickly as possible.