COVID-19 rapid antigen tests begin in Delhi: A health technician uses Rapid Antigen Kits for COVID-19 testing at CGHS Dispensary, R K Puram, in New Delhi, Thursday, June 18, 2020. (Courtesy: PTI Photo)

COVID-19 rapid antigen tests begin in Delhi: As the number of coronavirus positive cases rise alarmingly in the capital, the Delhi government has decided to begin COVID-19 testing through the rapid antigen methodology in and around containment zones of the national capital.

The coronavirus rapid antigen testing will be done at 169 centres located close to the coronavirus containment zones in Delhi.

The responsibility of conducting these rapid antigen tests has been given to 341 teams, the report said.

Notably, the person undergoing COVID-19 rapid-antigen testing can get his/her result within 30 minutes of getting tested, an official was quoted by PTI as saying.

The Union Health Ministry plans to conduct six lakh rapid antigen tests at the 169 facilities in Delhi, Union minister G Kishan Reddy told PTI.

The report quoted an official as saying that approximately 50,000 tests were expected to be completed on Thursday, June 18, in the national capital.

Regarding the commencement of COVID-19 rapid antigen tests in the capital, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal tweeted that the charges of COVID-19 testing in Delhi were reduced to Rs 2,400 per test, and COVID-19 rapid-antigen testing had begun from Thursday.

“I hope people won’t face any problem in getting themselves tested now,” Kejriwal added.

दिल्ली में करोना की टेस्टिंग -आज दो महत्वपूर्ण घटनायें हुईं

1. दिल्ली में टेस्टिंग के रेट घटाकर 2400 रुपए किए

2. आज से दिल्ली में रैपिड ऐंटिजेन टेस्टिंग शुरू हुई जिसके नतीजे 15 मिनट में आ जाते हैं

उम्मीद करता हूँ कि अब दिल्ली के लोगों को टेस्टिंग की कोई समस्या नहीं होगी

— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) June 18, 2020

PTI reported that at multiple COVID testing centres in Delhi, testing was conducted from 9 am onwards on Thursday. Those experiencing mild symptoms of coronavirus, or even those exhibiting no symptoms at all could get themselves tested, an official said.

For those in Sunlight Colony in southeast Delhi who got themselves tested via the COVID-19 rapid antigen method, the entire testing process took about 60 minutes, PTI stated. The testing began at 10 am at the centre, and 125 swab samples were collected by around 5 pm, a healthcare worker told PTI.

Here’s the procedure that was followed:

Step 1: Upon arriving at the testing centre, one had to get themselves registered at the registration desk.

Step 2: They waited for their turn to get tested — which was 30 minutes in most cases.

Step 3: The testing process for the rapid antigen method took only five to seven minutes, Alex Samuel, told PTI after getting tested.

Step 3: The authorities informed him that the results for the COVID-19 test would be conveyed via an SMS on Friday.

PTI quoted a healthcare worker at the Covid-19 testing centre as saying that the testing kit that can give results in 30 minutes costs Rs 450. In comparison, the RT-PCR test takes three to four hours to provide results for the same.

The rapid antigen kits, called Standard Q COVID-19 Ag detection, have been developed by South Korean company S D Biosensor.

The testing method involves looking for antibodies that are produced when the body is exposed to a pathogen.

If a person tests positive, meaning he/she has the antibodies associated with the novel coronavirus, would mean that the person is either COVID-19 positive or has recovered from the virus.

Healthcare workers told PTI that this is an easy and cheap method to detect asymptomatic COVID-19 cases.