Delhi suspends rapid antibody testing for Covid-19

New Delhi, April 23 (IANS) The Delhi government has suspended the rapid antibody for coronavirus, after the Indian Council of Medical Research told the states to stop using the newly-distributed Chinese testing kits.

The ICMR has said huge variations in the accuracy of results were noticed across the regions.

Speaking to IANS, a health official said the government had started using the kits on Monday.

“We have stopped using the rapid testing kits and will restart it after Centre’s nod,” an official told IANS on Thursday.

A day after its trial in the Lok Nayak hospital here, the Delhi government on Monday started the use of rapid antibody test kits in the containment zones in the Central district.

According to the Health Department, the kits were used in the Nabi Karim area and all the people have been tested negative.

The national capital acquired 42,000 rapid antibody test kits on Sunday and was aiming to use all the kits in a week.

The kits, according to the Health Department, were totest the presence of coronavirus antibodies.

“This will be used on people who have even minor (coronavirus) symptoms. In this test, we will see if the body has developed the antibodies. If this comes positive, then we will need to have a confirmatory RT-PCR test,” the official had said.

About 90 containment zones have been formed across the city to contain the spread of the infection after positive cases were found in the locality.

Several of Delhi’s containment zones have seen a jump in coronavirus cases.

–IANS

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