Amidst unprecedented spurt of COVID-19 cases in the national capital, the Centre has told Delhi government to deploy rapid antigen COVID-19 detection kits in containment zones and hospitals in combination with the traditional RT-PCR test. It will help in quick diagnosis led to effective prevention, the Centre communicated to the government.

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has capped the procurement cost for a rapid antigen test kit at Rs 450 following negotiation with the firm that produces it, a PTI report said

It negotiated the price of the Standard Q COVID-19 Ag detection kit (rapid antigen test kits) with the South Korean company SD Biosensor, which developed it and which has its manufacturing unit in Manesar, Gurgaon.

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On June 14, ICMR had written a letter to the Health Ministry, highlighting the need to augment COVID-19 testing in containment zones in Delhi.

The ICMR letter followed two high-level meetings Union Home Minister Amit Shah had with the Delhi government recently.

“The Delhi government has already been told that they can deploy rapid antigen detection tests for COVID-19 in the containment zones as well as hospitals in combination with the RT-PCR test to check the spread of infection,” a health ministry source was quoted saying by the report.

The rapid antigen test kits allow faster diagnosis without laboratory examination of samples.

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