The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has decided to perform rapid antigen tests on persons suspected to have died of COVID-19. This, according to senior health officials in the civic body, will help them quickly confirm and ascertain if the cause of death was COVID-19. The results of the rapid antigen test can be derived in about 30 minutes.
“Earlier, throat swabs of the deceased person were taken and sent for testing. Until the results were received, the body was held up and not released to the family,” said a senior health official.
“The PCR and rapid antigen test both are used to check the RNA of the virus in the samples collected. While PCR results take around 8 hours, we can get results of rapid antigen test in less than 30 minutes. The other difference is that while PCR has 80% sensitivity, antigen test has 65% sensitivity,” said BBMP’s District Health Officer (DHO) G. Suresh.
Confirming the development, BBMP’s Special Commissioner (Public Health) D. Randeep told The Hindu that the decision was taken in the light of many complaints received on the delay in handing over the bodies of the deceased to their families. “Once the test confirms the cause of death, the body is either interred or cremated as per the protocol,” he said.
The other reason is that once the cause of death is confirmed to be COVID-19, the civic body can immediately test the family members of the deceased. “This way, we will be able to check the spread more quickly. If the primary contacts also test positive for COVID-19, they may either opt for home isolation or go to a COVID Care Centre if they are asymptomatic. If they develop symptoms, they may get admitted to either government or private hospital for medical intervention,” an official said.
The civic body is also contemplating setting a time limit for the body of the deceased persons to be handed over to the families for last rites. We will be issuing an order soon.
Meanwhile, BBMP’s District Health Officer (DHO) G. Suresh, who is in-charge of rapid antigen testing, said that test kits have been given to all primary health centres and major government hospitals in BBMP limits and in Bengaluru Urban district limits. On July 17, it launched the rapid antigen test kits, following which, then BBMP Commissioner B.H. Anil Kumar, who has since been transferred, said they were looking for volunteers with science background to join the effort.
Dr. Suresh said that priority was given to testing those with comorbidities, Influenza like Illness (ILI) and Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI), especially in containment zones. Around 10 teams that were formed recently are deputed to different wards where more number of COVID-19 positive cases are being reported, he added.