How rapid antibody tests are different from existing PCR tests for Covid-19 | Explained

As Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has issued new testing guidelines for Covid-19 and has also allowed rapid antibody testing in India, experts believe that it will help the agencies to enhance screening and identifying capabilities.

To ensure speedy detection of coronavirus cases, those residing in Covid-19 hotspots or areas which have reported large numbers of cases may have to undergo a rapid antibody testing. The ICMR in its interim advisory has recommended the use of the rapid antibody test in the country’s coronavirus hotspots.

Presently the government uses the PCR (polymerase chain reaction) tests to detect novel coronavirus from samples of throat or nasal swab of people with symptoms or high-risk individuals who might have come in contact with positive patients.

What is the difference between existing and new testing kits

Existing testing system: The present Covid-19 detection tests being carried out in the country are called PCR (polymerase chain reaction), which require nasal or throat swabs. It takes about five hours for the results to come out.

Rapid antibody testing: The rapid testing kits are quicker to get early results. They use blood samples of suspected patients and normally takes around 15-30 minutes to give the result. Under this, one has to clean their finger with an alcohol swab and use the lancet provided for finger-pricks.

Why antibody rapid test is important

Reports suggest that after request from states, including Maharashtra, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and few other states, ICMR sent its recommendation a few days back to start antibody rapid test in the country.

These kits can be used from small clusters in the town upto village-level to find out the number of infections quickly, which is important in the present situation. Thousands of migrant workers returned to their native places since the lockdown and there is a possibility that a small section (3 out of 10, as per ICMR estimate) may have carried the virus.

As per Health Ministry officials, these rapid antibody tests is most suitable to detect whether the disease is spreading in the hotspots.

Experts say that antibody test doesn’t always pick up early viral infection but they can indicate if someone has any particular virus even if they are asymptomatic. This type of test is important for community surveillance and investigation purpose.

Where is this test available

As per reports, India has already started the process to buy these antibody rapid test kits for the country.

A source from Health Ministry suggested that India already has purchased around 5 lakh testing kits from USA, China and South Korea. ICMR has already given approval to a dozen such kits for Covid-19, which are likely to be available in the market soon. One Bengaluru-based company is also working on this project and their rapid testing kits are likely to be available soon.

What is the cost of anti-body rapid test

These new testing kits are priced between Rs 2,000-3,000 depending on their availability and supply.

Under the existing PCR test, in private labs, the government has already put a cap of Rs 4,500 for Covid-19 test. This includes Rs 1,500 for a screening test for suspect cases and an additional Rs 3,000 as confirmation test charges.

Reference: India Today