Rapid antigen test for detection of Covid-19 infection commenced in Ganjam and Cuttack districts on Tuesday.
Ganjam district Collector Vijay Amruta Kulange informed that the district administration used antigen test kits as per guidelines of the ICMR.
He further informed that door-to-door screening of people would start in urban areas of the district from tomorrow. Screening teams with oximeter would visit every household, he said.
Kulange urged the people of the district to cooperate during the screening and not to hide symptoms.
In Cuttack, antigen tests commenced at the SCB Medical College Hospital, the Acharya Harihara Regional Cancer Centre (AHRCC), Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Post Graduate Institute of Paediatrics (Sishu Bhawan) and the City Hospital. The SCB MCH received about 2,000 antigen test kits.
Sources said antigen tests concocted on patients visiting the hospitals to know if they are infected with coronaviurs before admission into different wards.
The antigen detection test is done by collecting nasal swab to detect antigens that are found within the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Known as the Standard Q Covid-19 Ag kit, antigen detection test does not require any specialised machine. The results can be obtained within 30 minutes and can be analysed with a naked eye.