Gurugram:16,109 people tested for Covid-19 antigen; positivity rate at 2.94%

Of the 16,109 people tested for Covid-19 in the city, through rapid antigen testing, a total of 475 people have been tested positive for the SARS-CoV2 so far. The

Of the 16,109 people tested for Covid-19 in the city, through rapid antigen testing, a total of 475 people have been tested positive for the SARS-CoV2 so far. The antigen detection tests, which began in the city on June 24, have seen a positivity rate of 2.94%, said senior district administration officials on Friday.

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Health officials and experts said that the tests have been helpful in identifying individuals infected with SARS-CoV-2 virus in certain parts of the city, including large outbreak regions (LORs) and neighbouring zones, where cases of Covid-19 have been gradually increasing. Rather than the conventional RT-PCR tests, the health officials have been using the rapid antigen testing kits in these areas to identify infected patients in a much faster way. At the same time, the government has also ramped up its overall testing numbers in the last three weeks. While in June, for instance, 1,500-2,000 daily tests were being conducted, the number has increased to 3,000 daily tests by the end of the first week of July.

“Over 10,000 antigen detection tests have been conducted in large outbreak regions (LOR) in the last two weeks, while the remaining tests have been conducted in other Covid-19 affected areas of the city. On an average, 1,500 antigen detection tests are being carried out every day at the camps organised in the Covid-19-affected areas of the city. Since the test results are available within 30 minutes, we are able to identify and isolate positive cases in such areas to prevent further transmission of the infectious disease,” said Dr Virender Yadav, chief medical officer (CMO), Gurugram.

The antigen test looks for specific protein associated with the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the pathogen that causes Covid-19. Since the test is highly specific (99.3% to 100%), Yadav said that the positive result on the test is a “true positive” and does not need any confirmatory test. Results have shown the sensitivity of the test is 50.6% to 84% depending on the viral load. Therefore, those who test negative might still have the infection and are advised to go for a repeat test through the more reliable RT-PCR method if they show symptoms of the disease, said health department officials.

As per health department officials, the rapid antigen testing has helped them to identify emerging Covid-19 clusters, where number of cases are gradually surging, apart from the already notified LORs in the city. The district administration has so far notified eight LORs in the city.

“By using these kits, we are noting the prevalence of the infection in areas where the positivity rate is climbing up. In Sohna, out of 1,000 antigen tests, at least 10% people tested positive for Covid-19. Almost a similar trend is being seen in Patel Nagar,” said Yadav, during a weekly press meet on Friday. Senior district administration officials present during the conference hinted at notifying these areas as LORs after July 14.

Experts, however, said that definitive conclusions cannot be derived by simply going by the total number of antigen tests done in the city. Lalit Kant, former epidemiology and communicable diseases head at the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), said, “Weekly data has to be studied to see the emerging pattern of the infection. It is important to figure out who all are being tested. If contacts of already confirmed cases or front-line health workers are being tested, then the number would be higher. If the general population is being tested, then the numbers will never be that high.”

In order to ramp up antigen testing, the health department procured additional 8,000 antigen detection kits on Wednesday. The state government in June placed an order of almost 100,000 testing kits with a South Korean company manufacturing these kits in Manesar. Gurugram has received 8,000 kits in the last week of June and another stock 10,000 kits on July 4. Till now, the city has got 26,000 kits from the state government.