Jammu & Kashmir begins use of Rapid Antibody tests in Coronavirus hotspots

Jammu and Kashmir government has begun use of Rapid Antibody Test kits in red zones areas across Union Territory to check community spre of disease. Jammu and Kashmir has received Rapid Antibody Tests, kits from Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir has recorded over 368 positive cases with majority of m being reported from Kashmir valley. Over 100 places have been declared as a red zone by authorities where entry and exit of people have been prohibited and w authorities have started conducting tests in se red zones.

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Community and cluster screening

Professor and He, Department of Microbiology at Government Medical College Jammu, Shashi, informed about measures being implemented by GMC to contain spre of this pandemic. "This rapid antibody-based blood test will conduct community and cluster screening to detect possible carriers of vel Coronavirus besides helping to kw impact of virus in identified red zones", she said.  She said that this test does t prove wher a person is positive or negative for COVID-19 at a given point of time but will only detect presence or absence of antibodies against COVID-19 in a person to tell that person has been exposed alrey to virus and assess seroprevalence.

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" aim of rapid test is t diagsis but with se tests, we will come to kw wher Coronavirus has got established in a community in identified red zones," she said. In this regard, necessary training for health professionals will start tomorrow. Pertinently, ICMR has vised antibody tests in COVID-19 hotspots which will ensure faster detection of cases and clusters and guide authorities to furr focus hotspots to contain community spre. Only persons testing IgM antibody positive (indicating fresh infection)  in rapid test, PCR test has to be done to confirm result. 

While antibody test is based on blood samples, PCR test is based on Oro/Naso-Pharyngeal swabs. Dr. Shashi said y h a good experience in Molecular Epidemiological tracking by Real-Time PCR which is gold standard world over and is optimistic towards containing this dely infection. In order to increase testing capacity, Cartridge Based Nucleic Acid Amplification Test (CB-NAAT) has been started at Intermediate Reference Lab. at Chest Diseases Hospital, Jammu which gives faster results and also helps clinicians of all specialities in assessing status of suspects before surgeries and procedures.  

Dr. Shashi said that department h limited resources in initial st but with complete support and guidance from Union government we have been able to enhance overall capacity both in terms of infrastructure and human resources and without ministrative support this would t have been possible. "We have expanded our diagstic services and are receiving well-researched guidelines from ICMR for conducting rapid COVID-19 test in GeneXpert platform. We have received customized cartridge for rapid COVID-19 test in GeneXpert platform and have performed 95 tests alrey and benefitted many surgeons alrey," she said ding that test result is available almost in an hour.

She said that this will prove to be of great help in emergency cases and policies would be institutionalized to clear apprehensions of doctors on this account. GeneXpert, a doorway to wider testing capacity was widely developed to rapidly detect Tuberculosis. She said that aim of introducing newer techlogies is to test more people and to decrease Turn around Time(TAT) in order to fast identify COVID positive patients and isolate m at earliest.

"We have started aggressive testing at our diagstic lab. and currently, we have 200 tests per day and Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RTPCR) techlogy is being used for diagsis as a front line test," she said. She ded that central reference ncies are issuing guidelines from time to time in order to improve things and we are trying our level best to implement those guidelines with utmost care. She said that all departments are working in a coordinated manner in battle against vel nt. She said that we have extended diagstic services at IIIM CSIR Jammu and have received a lot of support from m.

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