ICMR approves Covid-19 home testing kit using rapid antigen testing


Team Udayavani, May 20, 2021, 9:36 AM IST

New Delhi: The ICMR Wednesday advised against indiscriminate Covid-19 home testing using Rapid Antigen Tests (RATs), saying it should be used only on symptomatic individuals and on the immediate contacts of laboratory-confirmed positive cases.

All individuals who test positive through the RAT kit may be considered as true positives and no repeat testing is required, the Indian Council of Medical Research said in an advisory.

“Home testing by RAT is advised only in symptomatic individuals and immediate contacts of laboratory-confirmed positive cases. Indiscriminate testing is not advised,” the county’s apex health research body said.

“All symptomatic individuals who test negative by RAT should get themselves immediately tested by RT-PCR. This is especially important as the RATs are likely to miss few positive cases presenting with a low viral load.

“All RAT negative symptomatic individuals may be treated as suspect Covid-19 cases and are advised to follow the ICMR/Ministry of Health home isolation protocol while awaiting the RT-PCR test result,” the advisory stated.

Home testing should be conducted as per the procedure described by the manufacturer in the user manual.

The ICMR said the home testing mobile app is available in Google play store and Apple store and must be downloaded by all users.

The mobile app is a comprehensive guide of the testing procedure and will provide a positive or negative test result to the patient.

All users are advised to click a picture of the test strip after completing the test procedure with the same mobile phone which has been used for downloading the mobile app and user registration.

“Data in the app of your mobile phone will be centrally captured in a secure server which is connected with the ICMR Covid-19 testing portal, where all data will be eventually stored. Patient confidentiality will be fully maintained,” the advisory underlined.

Presently, CoviSelfTM(PathoCatch) Covid-19 OTC Antigen LF device manufactured by Mylab Discovery Solutions Ltd., Pune (Maharashtra), India has been validated and approved, the apex health research body said.

Udayavani is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel and stay updated with the latest news.

Top News

Devendra Fadnavis emerges as Maharashtra’s man of the moment

Priyanka Gandhi will surpass votes received by Rahul: IUML

Karnataka bypolls: Cong ahead in all three Assembly seats

Wayanad LS bypoll: Priyanka in lead by over one lakh votes

Indian-American leaders applaud PM Modi for inclusive growth in India

Doctors remove over 50 toothbrushes from man’s stomach in B’luru

Wayanad LS bypoll: Priyanka in lead by over 55,000 votes after close to 2 hrs of counting

Related Articles More

Devendra Fadnavis emerges as Maharashtra’s man of the moment

Priyanka Gandhi will surpass votes received by Rahul: IUML

Manipur: 2 more arrested for arson at residences of MLAs

Priyanka Gandhi will win by record margin from Wayanad, says Telangana CM

Something is fishy, there’s a big conspiracy: Raut on poll trends suggesting Mahayuti’s win

MUST WATCH

Naxal Leader Vikram Gowda

Christmas Cake Fruit Mixing

DK Shivakumar

Rose Cultivation

Geethotsava


Latest Additions

Devendra Fadnavis emerges as Maharashtra’s man of the moment

Priyanka Gandhi will surpass votes received by Rahul: IUML

Manipur: 2 more arrested for arson at residences of MLAs

Priyanka Gandhi will win by record margin from Wayanad, says Telangana CM

Something is fishy, there’s a big conspiracy: Raut on poll trends suggesting Mahayuti’s win

Thanks for visiting Udayavani

You seem to have an Ad Blocker on.
To continue reading, please turn it off or whitelist Udayavani.