New Delhi: The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) will be receiving 7 lakh rapid antibody testing kits by April 8 to ramp up COVID-19 tests in hotspot areas. The results of antibody tests take 15-30 minutes..
Of the new kits, 5 lakh will be delivered in the first phase.
ICMR’s Director-General Balram Bhargava has asked states to start rapid antibody-based blood tests in places where large migratory gatherings have happened such as containment zones and isolation wards.
“Overall testing for COVID-19 using real-time RT PCR is increasing and we will be approaching full capacity in the near future. At the same time, we are expecting delivery of Rapid Test kits (blood-based) for use in response to COVID-19 situation,” Bhargava said in his letter to health secretary Preeti Sudan.
Test centres have also been advised to upload the results of the tests to ICMR portal.
Overall, the total number of cases in India has reached 4067 with 109 deaths.
