Covid-19: Gurugram to conduct antigen detection test

The RT-PCR (Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction) will continue to remain gold standard front-line test for Covid-19.

To expedite the process of Covid-19 testing in Haryana, especially in the districts adjoining the national Capital, the state government will use an antigen detection test, which can deliver results within 15-30 minutes. In a review meeting with Union home affairs minister Amit Shah on Thursday regarding Covid-19 management in Delhi-NCR, Haryana has been directed to widely use the antigen detection tests to cover more people.

Approved by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), these kits will help in identifying the substance that induces an immune response in the body after SARS -CoV-2 virus enters the body. (Parveen Kumar/HT Photo)

The RT-PCR (Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction) will continue to remain gold standard front-line test for Covid-19. But with the new testing strategy in place, the state health department has capped the prices of RT-PCR at ₹2,400 in Haryana, said a state government official.

The state health department has already placed an order of 100,000 kits with a South Korean company based in Manesar. Approved by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), these kits will help in identifying the substance that induces an immune response in the body after SARS -CoV-2 virus enters the body.

Rajeev Arora, additional chief secretary, health department, said, “The antigen test is different from the antibody test. The antigen tests detect the substance that leads to the immune response in the body against the virus. If the antigen test shows a positive result, it should be considered as a true positive. In case, the test is negative, then the sample will be collected for the RT-PCR.” Notably, the antibody test shows the past infection due to the coronavirus.

The test can detect true negatives in at least 99% cases and positives in up to 84% of the cases. Any test result is considered reliable if it has a higher ability to detect true negatives. said state health department officials.

The company in Manesar has got the approval to manufacture kits for the antigen test. The kit comes with a Covid-19 antigen test device, swab for a sample collection from the nose, and viral extraction tube with viral lysis buffer that makes the virus inactive.Arora said that the price of the kit has been fixed at ₹450.

Dr Virender Yadav, chief medical officer (CMO), said, “The health department has initially received kits to conduct 200 tests. The plan on who all will be tested is yet to be made as we have received the kits on Thursday itself. An area-wise plan will be prepared based on which we will target the population who will be tested with these kits.” As per the ICMR guidelines, the test has to be conducted in the containment zones, including symptomatic, asymptomatic or those with co-morbidities. The test can also be conducted in hospitals.

According to a statement issued by the district administration, Shah, in the meeting, said that a testing campaign will be carried out to identify the persons infected with the SARS -CoV-2 virus in the Delhi-NCR.