<p>As COVID-19 cases continue to surge, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has approved the first antigen-based testing kit that could help diagnose patients much faster without rushing samples to a laboratory.</p>.<p>The antigen test kit, developed by SD Biosensor, can deliver results within 30 minutes as against the three to four hours required for the RT-PCR test, which is considered as the most reliable diagnostic test for COVID-19.</p>.<p>If the antigen test comes out as positive, it can be taken as a confirmation of infection, the ICMR said in an advisory issued on the use of the testing platform.</p>.<p>However, if a person tests negative, the ICMR had recommended conducting a RT-PCR test to rule out infection. This has been advised in view of the high specificity but relatively lower sensitivity of the antigen test, the ICMR said.</p>.<p>The research body also said that the testing kits be used for all symptomatic people with Influenza Like Illness in containment zones or hotspots, asymptomatic direct and high-risk contacts with co-morbidities of confirmed cases.</p>.<p>In hospitals, the kits are to be used for all symptomatic ILI patients, asymptomatic patients who are hospitalised or seeking hospitalisation for chemotherapy and transplants or those who are over 65 years with co-morbidities.</p>.<p>The tests have to be conducted onsite under strict medical supervision and within one hour of sample collection in the extraction buffer.</p>.<p>The approval of the antigen test kits come in the wake of rising demands to step up testing for COVID-19 amid a surge in the confirmed cases of the highly infectious disease.</p>.<p>As on Monday, ICMR had tested 57.74 lakh samples for COVID-19 through its network of state-run and private laboratories. On Sunday alone, the ICMR had conducted 1.15 lakh tests amid assertions that it would soon ramp up testing further.</p>.<p>On Monday, India’s COVID-19 count increased by 11,502 to reach 3,32,424 confirmed cases of which 1,69,798 have been recovered and discharged from hospitals.</p>.<p>The fatalities due to the disease shot up by 325 to reach 9,520.</p>
<p>As COVID-19 cases continue to surge, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has approved the first antigen-based testing kit that could help diagnose patients much faster without rushing samples to a laboratory.</p>.<p>The antigen test kit, developed by SD Biosensor, can deliver results within 30 minutes as against the three to four hours required for the RT-PCR test, which is considered as the most reliable diagnostic test for COVID-19.</p>.<p>If the antigen test comes out as positive, it can be taken as a confirmation of infection, the ICMR said in an advisory issued on the use of the testing platform.</p>.<p>However, if a person tests negative, the ICMR had recommended conducting a RT-PCR test to rule out infection. This has been advised in view of the high specificity but relatively lower sensitivity of the antigen test, the ICMR said.</p>.<p>The research body also said that the testing kits be used for all symptomatic people with Influenza Like Illness in containment zones or hotspots, asymptomatic direct and high-risk contacts with co-morbidities of confirmed cases.</p>.<p>In hospitals, the kits are to be used for all symptomatic ILI patients, asymptomatic patients who are hospitalised or seeking hospitalisation for chemotherapy and transplants or those who are over 65 years with co-morbidities.</p>.<p>The tests have to be conducted onsite under strict medical supervision and within one hour of sample collection in the extraction buffer.</p>.<p>The approval of the antigen test kits come in the wake of rising demands to step up testing for COVID-19 amid a surge in the confirmed cases of the highly infectious disease.</p>.<p>As on Monday, ICMR had tested 57.74 lakh samples for COVID-19 through its network of state-run and private laboratories. On Sunday alone, the ICMR had conducted 1.15 lakh tests amid assertions that it would soon ramp up testing further.</p>.<p>On Monday, India’s COVID-19 count increased by 11,502 to reach 3,32,424 confirmed cases of which 1,69,798 have been recovered and discharged from hospitals.</p>.<p>The fatalities due to the disease shot up by 325 to reach 9,520.</p>
