Antigen test begins in 10 dists today

Amid the significant rise in the number of new coronavirus cases, the health directorate is all set to start antigen-based rapid testing in 10 districts from today.

The districts are Brahmanbaria, Gaibandha, Jashore, Joypurhat, Madaripur, Meherpur, Munshiganj, Panchagarh, Patuakhali, and Sylhet.

Habibur Rahman, director of Management Information System (MIS) at the DGHS, said, "Initially, we are starting antigen-based rapid testing at nine district-level hospitals and at one medical college [Shaheed Shamsuddin Medical College Hospital in Sylhet] from Saturday. It will be expanded to other districts from the next week."

The antigen-based rapid testing is an easy-to-use molecular test -- alternative to the sophisticated RT-PCR tests -- which detects the presence of the virus itself, while the antibody tests look for past presence of the virus and a possible immune response to the infection.

Based on the testing protocol finalised by the health ministry, nasal swab samples from the patients with Covid-19 symptoms will be tested in those district hospitals and one medical college hospitals.

"We have trained up staffers in those hospitals. Only people with symptoms will be tested," Prof Tahmina Shirin, director of the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR), told The Daily Star yesterday.

Asked whether they have any target how many people will be tested, she said, "It depends how many people will come. Also, there is an issue of sufficient reagent. I have no idea whether reagents in bulk amount have been imported or not. The DGHS high ups can say it."

Earlier on Wednesday night, DGHS spokesperson Habibur Rahman told this newspaper that necessary reagents are waiting for release from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka.

Following recommendations given by the National Technical Advisory Committee, the health services division of the health ministry on September 17 approved the antigen rapid testing kit after months of bureaucratic exercises.

It aimed at setting up antigen testing facilities at 39 public hospitals and specialised institutes in areas which did not have RT-PCR testing facilities.

The country is conducting around 15,000 tests a day in 118 authorised laboratories. It is ranked at the bottom in the world in terms of conducting Covid-19 tests considering its population of over 160 million.

24 DIED, 2,252 INFECTED

Meanwhile, 24 people died of Covid-19 in the past 24 hours till 8:00am yesterday, according to a press release issued by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

With this, the total number of deaths reached at 6,772 and the death rate was 1.43 percent.

In the same 24 hours, a total of 2,252 new infections were recorded, taking the total number of people infected to 473,991, added the release.

Against a total of 15,430 tests in 118 labs countrywide, the positivity rate was 14.59 percent, while the overall positivity rate was 16.71 percent.

Meanwhile, around 2,572 Covid-19 patients recovered in those 24 hours.

The total number of recoveries now stands at 390,951 and the recovery rate at 82.48 percent.

Among the 24 deceased, 20 were males.

One of them aged between 21 and 30 years, two between 31 and 40, two between 41 and 50, two between 51 and 60, and 17 above 60 years, added the release.