India is witnessing a massive second wave as the daily Covid-19 cases in the country remained more than 1,50,000 for the third consecutive day. With that surge, India has overtaken Brazil as the second worst-infected country behind the United States.
Meanwhile, the government has ramped up the vaccination program and cleared another vaccine for emergency use. But with cases rising, it¡¯s imperative that people follow social distancing norms and more and more get tested.
RT-PCR or Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction tests were the first to be developed and widely deployed since the onset of the pandemic and it remains the primary tool for Covid-19 diagnosis.
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The Covid-19 RT-PCR detects viral RNA in host samples like nasal or oral swabs, saliva, etc and gives either a positive or a negative result based on the presence of the virus. Yes, it isn¡¯t cent percent accurate, but currently it¡¯s considered the gold standard for Covid-19 detection.
But even as the test can detect the acute infection of coronavirus, it does come with limitations, such as it can¡¯t tell whether a person has recovered from Covid-19 or if they had been infected with the virus in the past.
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In this test, a small amount of DNA is taken via a cotton swab from the back of the throat or nose of the test candidate. This sample is then sent for the RT-PCR test, which includes many steps to convert the RNA into viral DNA.
Both the private labs and government facilities process the samples and share the reports with clients and within 24 hours of collecting the samples. And although the cost of this test has plummeted over the time, it differs from state to state.
The Maharashtra government, for example, has fixed the price of an RT-PCR test at ?500 for giving samples at the collection centre and ?800 for people opting to get their swab test done at home. Delhi, Bihar and Gujarat have slashed the cost of an RT-PCR test to ?800 at private labs; West Bengal has capped it at ?950; Assam at ?1,200; and Haryana at ?499.
The ICMR guidelines recommend that individuals who have undertaken international travel in the last 14 days and have symptoms such as fever, cough, difficulty in breathing need to be tested.?
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Apart from this, all symptomatic contacts of laboratory-confirmed cases; all symptomatic health care workers; all returnees and migrants within 7 days of illness;? all hospitalised patients with Severe Acute Respiratory Illness should be tested.
All asymptomatic direct and high-risk contacts--contacts in family and workplace, elderly above 65 years of age and those with comorbidities--of a confirmed case should be tested once between day 5 and day 14 of coming in his/her contact.
Tests for the novel coronavirus can only be conducted in specialised labs that are certified to do so. India has done exceedingly well to increase the number of Covid-19 testing laboratories in the country from 52 to 2,452 in exactly one year. Out of these, 1,230 are government labs, while 1,222 others are private facilities. A total of 1,415 of these laboratories carry out Real-Time RT PCR tests for Covid-19.
For those who need to reach out to Covid-19 facilities, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has put out state-wise lists along with their dedicated website. But I personally found this interactive map put out by the ICMR particularly informative. All testing centres across the country are mapped out in a searchable database along with their address. You can even search for your state name to check out all the laboratories that test for Covid-19.
Google has also introduced a feature where its Search, Assistant, and Maps apps let users locate the Covid-19 testing centres. Just go to your browser and type in ¡°Covid test¡± or ¡°Coronavirus testing¡±, and you¡¯ll get a dashboard containing the Covid-19 testing laboratories near you.
Apart from this, people can also call the central helpline number for Covid-19 at +91-11-23978046, and at the toll free number 1075.
TruNat is a chip-based and battery-operated automated test that detects SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA within half an hour. It is a cheaper and quicker version of the RT-PCR test, but the portable machine requires a continuous power supply and air conditioning which might be a limiting factor in certain areas.
Rapid antigen test (RAT), also known as diagnostic or rapid tests, is a cheaper and quicker method of testing for the novel coronavirus. These isolate proteins called antigens that are unique to the virus, and can give a result in 15 to 20 minutes.?
But these tests are less reliable, with an accuracy rate in some cases as low as 50 per cent, and were originally meant to be used in virus hotspots and healthcare settings only. Therefore, ICMR recommends all symptomatic people who tested RAT negative to take a RT-PCR test.