JOIN USDakshina Kannada district has received 3,500 antigen kits and the rapid antigen tests for Covid-19 will be conducted shortly.
Sources in the health department said it hopes that the rapid antigen tests will help in increasing the number of tests and bring down the load of testing on labs, as antigen kits would allow faster diagnosis.
It takes a minimum of eight hours to get the results via real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test. Antigen test can provide results within 30 minutes as compared to RT-PCR test.
The antigen test will be conducted for emergency cases like delivery, surgery, persons with severe symptoms of Covid, multi-organ failure patients and for those whose condition is critical.
"If a symptomatic patient is tested negative for Covid-19, the person's throat swab sample will be sent for lab testing.
DHO (in charge) Dr Rathnakar said, "Antigen kits have been received. Training is imparted on the use of the kits. It will be used for emergency cases on a priority basis."