Rajasthan
Rajasthan: Rapid antigen tests give positivity rate of 0.4% since mid-May | Jaipur News
JAIPUR: Rapid antigen test that was rejected by the state government last year for Covid diagnosis is now being used widely for the screening purposes. Since May 17, more than 7.6-lakh rapid antigen tests have been conducted. Of these, 3,320 tested positive for the virus with a positivity rate of 0.4%.
During the same period, 34 lakh samples tested through RT-PCR gave 1.2 lakh positive reports for the virus with a positivity rate of 3.4%. Officials said the difference was due to a rapid antigen test used for screening purposes.
The state government started using rapid antigen tests under a special drive on May 17 to detect cases in every block of the state. “We have used the rapid antigen tests in rural areas for screening purposes for Covid. We started it when the second wave was almost at its peak during mid-May,” said a senior health department official.
Since then, the state government has been using it in the areas sharing border with other states such as Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. Officials said those entering the state from the south get tested through rapid antigen test.
In Jaipur, more than 99,252 persons were tested for Covid through rapid antigen test, which is the highest in any district. Out of those samples, 240 tested positive for Covid with a positivity rate of 0.2%.
In Alwar too, the health department conducted testing through rapid antigen test as they tested 50,250 samples and out of those 155 were found infected with the virus. Since, Alwar is close to Delhi and Haryana, it has used the rapid antigen test on frequent travelers crossing the state borders for work. Also, it was used in rural areas for screening purposed for Covid.
“Since the test gives immediate report, it helps us in screening people,”said the official.
Udaipur, which is one of the worst Covid-hit districts of the state, used the rapid antigen test aggressively. The health department tested 49,708 people and found 144 samples infected with a positivity rate of 0.3%.
During the same period, 34 lakh samples tested through RT-PCR gave 1.2 lakh positive reports for the virus with a positivity rate of 3.4%. Officials said the difference was due to a rapid antigen test used for screening purposes.
The state government started using rapid antigen tests under a special drive on May 17 to detect cases in every block of the state. “We have used the rapid antigen tests in rural areas for screening purposes for Covid. We started it when the second wave was almost at its peak during mid-May,” said a senior health department official.
Since then, the state government has been using it in the areas sharing border with other states such as Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. Officials said those entering the state from the south get tested through rapid antigen test.
In Jaipur, more than 99,252 persons were tested for Covid through rapid antigen test, which is the highest in any district. Out of those samples, 240 tested positive for Covid with a positivity rate of 0.2%.
In Alwar too, the health department conducted testing through rapid antigen test as they tested 50,250 samples and out of those 155 were found infected with the virus. Since, Alwar is close to Delhi and Haryana, it has used the rapid antigen test on frequent travelers crossing the state borders for work. Also, it was used in rural areas for screening purposed for Covid.
“Since the test gives immediate report, it helps us in screening people,”said the official.
Udaipur, which is one of the worst Covid-hit districts of the state, used the rapid antigen test aggressively. The health department tested 49,708 people and found 144 samples infected with a positivity rate of 0.3%.
