Expand antigen testing: ICMR to states

New Delhi, May 5

The ICMR today changed the testing strategy citing unprecedented Covid surge and 20 per cent positivity rate to recommend expansion of rapid antigen tests for surveillance.

Earlier, RAT was recommended only in containment zones and healthcare settings.Today, the ICMR recommended RAT at all available government and private healthcare facilities. It also called for dedicated RAT booths in cities, towns and villages to offer testing; testing booths may be set up at multiple locations including healthcare facilities, resident welfare associations,

offices, schools, colleges, community centres and other available vacant spaces; RAT booths should be operational 24X7 to improve access and availability of testing; drive-through RAT testing be created at convenient locations

The ICMR said RAT had a short turnaround time of 15-30 minutes and offered a huge advantage of quick detection of cases for early detection and treatment. It has approved 36 RATs of which 10 are on government portal and can be ordered. — TNS

Surge linked to double mutant: NCDC

• India’s apex disease surveillance lab, the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), said the alarming current surge in Covid cases being witnessed for over a month in some states was linked to the rise of the B1.617 variant (better known as the double mutant) of the original virus.
• NCDC director SK Singh said the B117 variant (UK variant), which originally caused disease in Delhi and Punjab, was declining in proportion for 1.5 months and the double mutant, that first ravaged Maharashtra, was rising.