A R60 test could help SA find millions more TB patients — but will it miss most dangerous cases?

Mar 25, 2026 · 1663 words · By Ida Jooste

Fact-Check Results

“A patient arrives at a clinic with a cough that has lingered for weeks, and the nurse suspects tuberculosis (TB).”

❓ INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE — No evidence found in archive to confirm or refute claims about TB suspicion in patients with prolonged coughs.

“In South Africa, more than half of all people who fall ill with TB have HIV.”

❓ INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE — No evidence found in archive to verify TB-HIV co-infection rates in South Africa.

“People with HIV often get a specific form of TB that leaves them with a dry cough and virtually no sputum.”

❓ INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE — No evidence found in archive to assess TB presentation characteristics in HIV-positive individuals.

“In TB hotspots, 'sputum-scarce' cases can make up about half of all TB cases.”

❓ INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE — No evidence found in archive to confirm prevalence of sputum-scarce TB cases in endemic regions.

“Doctors use methods like mist machines, stomach washing, or bronchoscopy to obtain sputum samples from patients who cannot cough.”

❓ INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE — No evidence found in archive to verify diagnostic methods for sputum-negative TB patients.

“The World Health Organization (WHO) is recommending new tests for TB diagnosis in remote settings.”

❓ INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE — No evidence found in archive to confirm WHO recommendations for new TB diagnostic tests.

“The new tests use sputum samples or tongue swabs when patients cannot cough.”

❓ INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE — No evidence found in archive to verify TB test sample collection methods for non-coughers.

“The new portable machines cannot detect drug-resistant TB strains.”

❓ INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE — No evidence found in archive to assess detection capabilities of new TB diagnostic devices.

“The South African trial will test over 7,000 samples comparing new tests to standard lab tests.”

❓ INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE — No evidence found in archive to verify details about the South African TB trial protocol.

“The portable machine costs $155, while lab machines cost $8,000.”

❓ INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE — No evidence found in archive to confirm cost comparisons between portable and lab TB diagnostic machines.

“The WHO recommends 'sputum pooling' as a cost-saving measure for TB testing.”

❓ PENDING

“A study in four TB hotspot countries found 15% of patients could not cough up sputum.”

❓ PENDING

“A study in the Western Cape found tongue swabs detected 72-76% of TB cases compared to sputum tests.”

❓ PENDING

“The cost of the new test has dropped to $3.60 due to global price negotiations.”

❓ PENDING

“The Gates Foundation funded the development of the new test and is supporting South African studies.”

❓ PENDING

“Switching to tongue swabs allowed clinics to test all patients in a study, matching sputum test case totals.”

❓ PENDING