Rapid antigen tests still being used in 30% of cases

For all symptomatic cases, only RT-PCR is being done, says DMO

Rapid antigen tests constitute 30% of the COVID-19 tests in Ernakulam despite the government directive to replace it with RT-PCR tests in districts that has clocked vaccination rate of 80%.

The district has administered the first dose to around 90% of the target population as per the latest official estimates. A review meeting held by the government recently had recommended limiting antigen tests to necessary situations of testing inside hospitals. It was also decided to replace rapid antigen tests with RT-PCR tests in districts that had attained 80% coverage in administering the first dose of the COVID vaccine.

An analysis of the pandemic situation by the District Health Department had stated that rapid switching to RT-PCR tests may lead to delay in diagnosis and treatment. Even with maximum RT-PCR capacity, replacing rapid antigen tests with RT-PCR tests may not be possible and it may lead to increase in the ratio of reported and missing cases, it said.