BENGALURU: Even as Karnataka waits for one lakh Rapid Antibody Test Kits ordered from a Singapore company with the manufacturing unit in China, Medical Education Minister Dr K Sudhakar recommended localised accuracy tests for the kits. Despite China changing its policy, mandating quality assessment and FDA certification for medical inventory being dispatched from its soil, apprehensions over the accuracy Made in China testing kits continue. Sudhakar suggested that the rapid test kits (RTKs) be used on existing positive and recovered cases to assess accuracy.

“RTKs are expected to have more than 80 per cent accuracy, but RTPCRs (reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction tests) are still the best testing procedure we have with about 95 per cent accuracy. I am recommending that all active and recovered patients be tested using the RTKs for immediate assessment of their accuracy, ” Sudhakar said. For now, the state intends to use RTKs on frontline workers, like medical professionals, paramedics and individuals with high exposure like civic workers, policemen. “Each test costs about Rs 1,000 and is easy to handle. Even private companies can afford them,” he said. Unperturbed by the spike in number of cases in Karnataka over the last two days, he insisted that the numbers are rising in expected clusters and from known contamination sources.

“The larger chunks of new cases are either linked to the Nanjangud pharma company cluster or Tablighi Jamaat source. We have also increased testing over the last four days. Earlier, we were testing about 300-200 samples per day, but now we have increased it to 1,200-1,300 and that’s why we are seeing a spurt,” he said. The minister said Karnataka, thanks to its early order of tests and personal safety kits, did not have to worry about the Union government’s circular stopping states from procuring equipment. “We are more than happy to receive supplies from the Union government. The Centre should supply requirements in time,” he said.