(Image source from: Thehindubusinessline.com)

Centre Advises Rapid Antibody Tests Across The Country:- As the number of coronavirus cases are increasing across the country, the Centre advised rapid antibody tests in hotspot areas across India. These tests can be run on blood, plasma or serum samples. The test comes positive if the person is infected with SARS-COV2 virus which then leads to Covid-19 or coronavirus in the next 7-10 days. The Indian Council Medical Research (ICMR) said that the test remains positive for several weeks after the infection. 25 districts are identified which have more than 30 cases each.

Mumbai, Kasargod, Hyderabad, Kannur, Pune, Gautam Buddh Nagar (Uttar Pradesh) and Bengaluru are some of the cities with high caseloads. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare finalized the high caseload districts as per the number of positive cases. The distributors of antibody kids are approached and the National Task Force is asked to initiate the plans. The CE-IVD-approved kits can be used after the approval from the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI). ICMR released a list of 12 CE-IVD approved antibody rapid kits that are manufactured in India and other countries.