BMC Conducts Antigen Test Of Over 100 Frontline Workers, Senior Citizens

Bhubaneswar: Continuing its mission to boost testing capacity, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Monday conducted rapid antigen tests of 207 people, including several frontline workers like essential services staff, health workers, police and others at three camps in the Odisha capital.

Seventy-five Government Railway Police (GRP) personnel turned up to get themselves tested on Monday morning at the main Waiting Hall of Bhubaneswar railway station, where BMC has organized an antigen camp.

The good news is, all of them tested negative.

The Rapid Response Team of BMC’s south east zone, headed by Dr Manjulata Dehury and Dr Renurani Mohanta, conducted the tests with the help of BMC staff.

Another camp was organized at Vivekananda Sikhyakendra in Sailashree Vihar, Ward No. 7 to conduct antigen tests of local vulnerable people and frontline workers. A total of 70 people, including some senior citizens, were tested. Of the 70, two have tested positive for coronavirus.

A third testing camp was conducted at Baramunda Durga Puja Committee of Ward No. 50 for returnees and symptomatic people who were in contact with COVID positive cases. Sixty-two people, including senior citizens and frontline workers, were tested at this camp, of whom seven tested positive for COVID-19.

The BMC started antigen testing in Bhubaneswar on July 22 to ramp up testing rate. Over 900 people have been tested using this method this far.

Antigen tests detect the presence of a protein expressed by the coronavirus and can give the result in less than 30 minutes. The commonly used RT-PCR, or real-time polymerase chain reaction, test usually takes about five to six hours for a result.