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Rapid antigen testing begins in Pune after 1 lakh kits made available
The tests, according to civic officials, have been carried out at the Naidu hospital and results were made available within 30 minutes.
The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) on Wednesday began rapid antigen detection tests in the city for the diagnosis of Covid-19 infection. On the first day, the tests were conducted on 25 people of whom four tested positive .
The tests, according to civic officials, have been carried out at the Naidu hospital and results were made available within 30 minutes. The quick results will help isolate first contacts of the patient sooner, thereby, stopping the spread of the virus within the community. The use of antigen kits will also reduce the burden on the National Institute of Virology and other laboratories currently testing swabs for Covid-19 infection.
The first batch of the one lakh kits, arrived in city earlier this week and have now been given to Naidu hospital. Authorities will start using them from Thursday in mobile ambulances, flu clinics and door-to-door surveys to identify positive patients immediately, PMC officials said.
According to state health department officials, rapid antigen detection tests are faster as they offer results within 30 minutes as compared to a minimum of 24 hours required for RT-PCR test results and are non-confirmatory. Therefore, those who test negative will have to be tested again using the RT-PCR test for re-confirmation while positive patients are considered “positive” and do not require further test.
According to PMC commissioner Shekhar Gaikwad, the civic body received kits from a private firm, which has already offered training online to the municipal staff.
“The PMC plans to use one lakh kits in various areas on symptomatic persons. Since the tests results will be available within 30 minutes, we will be able to restrict movement of first contacts. We are also providing hands-on training to our staff posted in swab collection centres in the city,” said Gaikwad. According to the PMC commissioner, accuracy rate of the rapid antigen test is 90 per cent.
The kits use nasal or saliva samples from the suspects and within 20-30 minutes, the results are made available. The kit indicators are very similar to a pregnancy kit. It helps detect the antigens that are found in the Sars-CoV-2 virus which causes the Covid-19 infection. The kits were ordered by the civic body after the India Council of Medical Research (ICMR) approved its use on June 18. The antigen test kits are not only fast as compared to RT-PCR kits, but are also cheaper as it costs about Rs 450 per test, according to officials.
PCMC to also use rapid antigen tests
The Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) will soon start using the tests as the industrial township sees a spike in number of cases daily. The civic body has ordered 4,000 such kits.
