The ‘Covid-19 Rapid Antibody Test’ is now banned for import. This follows a decision by the Council of Ministers on Thursday 30 December to amend the Consumer Protection (Control of Imports) Regulations 2017. This classification is puzzling to pharmacists.
“We still don’t understand the logic behind banning the importation of this particular test,” says Siddick Khodaboccus, the president of the Pharmacists’ Union. The test is used to give an indication of the neutralising antibody level before and after the covid vaccine. It is a precautionary measure for those who want to be best informed about their health and recovery from the Covid 19 virus. The objectivity of a rapid test is above 50%.
Interpretations of possible reasons
They were neither warned nor aware of any rumours. As the reason is not yet revealed by the authorities, there are multiple interpretations, the most critical pharmacists focus on the reason “so that not everyone knows their exact antibody level after a particular vaccine brand. We know that there are some vaccines that are not very effective, especially against the two variants, Delta and Omicron“. Others believe that “given that these tests are Chinese-made and over-the-counter, the Ministry of Health must have detected anomalies in its effectiveness that have not yet been made public“. Thus some pharmacists are already worried about their stocks.
The president of the Union of Pharmacists wonders about the possibilities of this ban. “The reason may be around the panic that can be caused by a wrong interpretation after all the self-tests by the uninformed person. If it is for a reason of test regulation, we advise the authorities to also look at over-the-counter products, even on the streets, such as rapid antigen test kits, masks that do not comply with the criteria, antiseptic gels and also oximeters,” he says.
However, this ban is not likely to affect the pharmacists’ business because, as Siddick Khodabaccus explains, “the proportion of sales between Rapid Antibody Test and Rapid Antigen Test is 1:25. In Mauritius, consumers have not yet developed this reflex. The yearly test was selling at Rs 300. This test will probably be done at a more expensive price in clinics and laboratories.” He admits that he is waiting for more details from the Ministry of Health regarding this ban, which the union learned about at the same time as everyone else.
