At least 62 samples were taken for COVID-19 testing in Delhi's Nabi Karim and all of them were found negative. "Rapid testing for COVID-19 began at Nabi Karim containment zone in Central District of the national capital. 62 random samples were tested in the area and all came negative," the Delhi government said in a statement today.
The Delhi government began testing through rapid antibody testing kits in the containment zones on Sunday. The AAP government has acquired 42,000 such kits. The number of containment zones in the national capital has gone up to 84.
Two kinds of diagnostic tests are being currently prescribed for use in India -- the RT-PCR test and rapid antibody test -- as per global health norms.
A reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test is a laboratory technique combining reverse transcription of RNA into DNA that detects the virus while the antibody tests, which use blood, detect the body's response to the virus.
In rapid antibody test, the result will be positive only if the antibodies have been generated. So, even if a person is infected but the antibodies are not generated, the result will come negative.
RT-PCR test takes time and is a costly affair, because of its elaborate kit. On the other hand, the rapid antibody test is less expensive and the result can come in 20-30 minutes, experts said.
Rapid antibody tests are generally used in hotspots where the infection is found concentrated in a given area.
(With PTI inputs)
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