Even when a person in the hotspot tests negative for rapid antibody test, he should be subjected to Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) test if the suspicion is high for COVID-19, former Secretary to the Government of India E.A.S. Sarma suggests.
Citing the guidelines issued by the Union Health Ministry, Mr. Sarma said only persons displaying flu symptoms for more than seven days alone should be subjected to rapid test. But even if the test results are negative, the person should be quarantined for a week. After that if the clinical suspicion is ‘high for COVID-19’ he should be subjected to RT-PCR test to make sure that he is negative, he said in a letter to Special Chief Secretary (Health) K.S. Jawahar Reddy.
He hoped that those carrying the tests were fully trained as per the ICMR requirements.
Citing an instance in Spain where a Chinese consignment of rapid test kits had to be rejected as they had failed to conform to the prescribed accuracy levels, he said it was imperative that all consignments of imported test kits and the other medical products were subjected to strict quality verification in India.
