Ten months into the Covid-19 global pandemic, India has done 12.3 crore RT-PCR and Rapid Antigen tests, with almost 9% of its population being covered. However, what is lacking is a better understanding and applicability of Rapid Antibody tests.
According to Dr IS Gilada, an infectious diseases specialist and leading HIV/AIDS consultant, the Rapid Antibody tests need to be enhanced.
The Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction or the RT-PCR is considered the gold standard as far as detection of the Covid-19 infection is concerned. Similarly, Rapid Antigen tests reveal if a person is currently infected with a pathogen such as the Covid-19 virus. Once the infection is gone, the antigen disappears.
However, Rapid Antibody tests can help us to track the spread of disease, giving a more accurate representation of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Dr Gilada, who is Secretary-General, People's Health Organisation (India) and President, AIDS Society of India, said that we need to think out of the box.
“Until now, the Indian government decided to use it only for surveillance purposes by doing minuscule few thousand tests each month for the last six months. Without undermining the importance of the RT-PCR tests; which is considered the gold standard in the diagnosis of Covid-19 globally, the time has come to widen the usage of the Covid-19 Rapid Antibody test that is easier and cheaper to perform and yet provide vast insights that can be crucial in managing the pandemic and brining the society back on track,” he said.
According to him, the Rapid Antibody test is easy to perform, is done on a drop of blood through a finger prick or on sera - part of blood used for several tests. The patient need not go through the painful procedure of nasal swab. “It shows two bands –IgM shows a current infection, IgG shows a past infection,” said Dr Gilada.
He also said that the Rapid Antibody test has its own importance.
“It can help in recruitment and getting people back to work including those with co-morbidities. Surgery, dialysis, chemotherapy, delivery – if Rapid Antibody Test positive, no need to do RT-PCR and no need to wait for such procedures,” he said.
Added Dr Gilada, “This is a truly point-of-care (POC) test, done on a drop of blood with a finger prick, can be done by anyone, on anyone, and anywhere with result in just 10 to15 mins. It is low cost and the government can intervene to get the cost further reduced, as it is a cartridge-based test but sold at a very high price by manufacturers. Other such tests for HIV, Hepatitis B, and C, Syphilis, Malaria, Dengue are available for less than Rs.100, but these are sold at over Rs 300 per test.”