Health experts call for more RT-PCR tests in Telangana

HYDERABAD: Telangana’s impressive testing is more dependent on rapid antigens kits, which doctors say is a less accurate method of testing and have called for more RT-PCR tests. Raising an alert on the need to ramp up the more reliable mode of testing — RT-PCR — experts said that Telangana is at a crucial junction now with all lockdown restrictions being lifted.
“RT-PCR test is considered to be the gold standard because it has a miniscule chance of a false negative. We have asked the government to increase RT-PCR tests several times since the pandemic started but it is yet to happen. The state needs to increase this method of testing to ideally 50 per cent to have more accurate results,” said Dr K Mahesh Kumar, president Healthcare Reforms Doctors Association (HRDA).
An analysis of the Covid-19 tests done in the first three weeks of June, shows that 91 per cent of the total 24.6 lakh tests done were rapid antigen tests (RAT) and only 9 per cent were RT-PCRs. In fact, in certain districts up to 99 per cent of tests were done by RAT method. This was revealed in a report by the state health department.
Since RAT tests can give immediate results (within an hour) and has correct estimation of positives but a high number of false negatives, the testing method was promoted to find the positive cases quickly. While recent guidelines from the Centre have asked states to rely more on RAT tests in rural areas, symptomatic patients testing negative are required to be tested again by RT-PCR. This is also the state’s SOP but has not been put into practice so far.
The report further showed that among all the districts in the state, Nirmal — with 99.45 percent RAT tests had highest percentage of such tests. The district has only 0.55 per cent RT-PCR tests.