Goa to offer 2 key Covid-related tests for free: Vishwajit Rane

AS THE number of active Covid-19 cases touched 4,565 in Goa on Monday, state health minister Vishwajit Rane announced that Goa will be the first state in the country to offer the D-dimer test and the Interleukin 6 test for free.

“Goa is the first state in the country to offer free of cost D-Dimer & Interleukin 6 tests at the GMC (Goa Medical College) for Covid-19 patients. These tests will be useful for monitoring the patient’s progression to Covid-19 related cytokine storm & help in timely medical intervention to reduce fatality,” Rane tweeted.

The minister also held a review meeting with officials from the health department to review the arrangements at the South Goa District Hospital (SGHD).

The D-Dimer test is used to rule out blood clots and the Interleukin-6 test is used to assess a possible cytokine storm. A cytokine storm can occur due to an infection, auto-immune condition, or other diseases. According to experts, signs and symptoms include high fever, inflammation, fatigue, and nausea. Cytokine storms are not exclusive to Covid-19 patients. It is an immune reaction that can occur during other infectious and non-infectious diseases as well.