LOGIN DASHBOARD

    COVID19

    Features

    4 MIN READ

    Antigen tests are cheaper and quicker, but less reliable

    The Record, September 22, 2020, Kathmandu

    Antigen tests are cheaper and quicker, but less reliable

      Share this article

    A Chitwan hospital has begun antigen tests, pre-empting the government’s directives

    (The Record)

    Chitwan Medical College (CMC) has become the first institution to start screening for Covid-19 infections through antigen tests by starting even before the government finalised the national antigen tests guidelines. 

    The college has already managed to conduct 500 tests in the past two days, owing largely to the fact that antigen tests deliver results within two hours, according to CMC representatives. In the past, CMC has conducted over 5,000 PCR tests as Bharatpur is one of the eight districts in Nepal with more than 500 active Covid-19 cases. 

    “Antigen tests have both merits and demerits: quick results are a merit, but it is also slightly less sensitive than PCR test. However, we are using the US Food and Drug Administration approved test kits,” said Dr Harish Chandra Neupane, managing director of CMC.

    The government has not officially approved antigen tests yet as public health experts have pointed out the downsides of other similar testing mechanisms such as the rapid diagnostic tests (RDT). Antigen tests are known to be less sensitive than other diagnostic tests, and thus give false negatives, increasing the risk of the spread of the virus. 

    Additionally, experts have also raised concerns about the quality of test kits. Initially, Nepal started screening the Covid-19 infection with RDT test kits. Nepal imported substandard RDT test kits from China only to find that RDT test results were mostly false negatives. In fact, mass RDT testing only contributed to rapid spread of the virus. 

    Nepal identified its first Covid-19 case in January. On Tuesday, the total number of Covid-19 cases reached 66,632, with 18,142 active cases, and the death toll reached 429. Following the RDT fiasco, and under immense public pressure, the government decided to extend PCR tests. However, the government never boosted daily PCR tests to make them truly effective in countering the virus. Average daily PCR tests still hover around 10,000 per day. 

    The government, meanwhile, has been complaining about its depleting resources for the treatment of Covid-19 patients. It started scaling down PCR tests and treatments for Covid patients. Currently, the government is refusing to conduct PCR tests on the diseased, asymptomatic patients, and even on frontline health workers, while agreeing to only cover the treatment costs of those it has ambiguously termed the ‘poor.’ 

    But this decision has increased the risk of the virus’s spread. There are no exact figures to show how many people exposed to the virus have not shown symptoms. However, it is estimated that between 30-70 percent of cases are asymptomatic. By not testing asymptomatic cases, health workers, and the diseased, the government risks another surge in the number of new Covid cases in the days to come. 

    The Ministry for Health and Population (MoHP) argues that the reason for introducing antigen tests was to ensure mass surveillance as the number of Covid-19 cases continues to rise significantly. On September 10, MoHP spokesperson Dr Jageshwor Gautam informed that the ministry had approved antigen tests. He said that the antigen test guideline, prepared by the Health Research Council, would be endorsed with amendments. 

    Dr Samir Kumar Adhikari, joint spokesperson at the ministry, told The Record that the antigen test guidelines have not been finalised yet. “We are still discussing the areas and sectors in which it can be useful,” said Dr Adhikari. However, he was unaware that CMC had already begun the tests. 

    Antigen tests deliver results instantly and are more convenient to use, much like pregnancy tests. They are also cheaper than PCR tests. But at CMC, clients are being charged NRs 3,000 per test, NRs 1,000 more than the government’s rate for a PCR test.

    “What is the point of introducing a less reliable rapid antigen test if it is more expensive than a PCR test?” said epidemiologist Dr Lhamo Sherpa.

    Experts have been stressing on the need to ramp up PCR tests because of their reliability. PCR tests rely on a laboratory technique in determining infections by using a nose or throat swab. The results take time, often days, in Nepal as there are a limited number of labs. They also need trained technicians, which increases their overall cost. But PCR tests, and not antigen tests, are good at picking up low-level infections. 

    “It does not mean that antigen tests are useless. If we can't boost PCR tests, then we must go for antigen tests. It is useful for surveillance,” said Dr Sherpa. 

    Ideally, antigen tests are meant for mass tests at a low cost to assess the spread of the virus in a community. However, there is upto 20 percent margin of error. This means that if someone tests negative, it is advisable they retest themselves through PCR to confirm they aren’t infected.  

    “I want to make it clear that antigen tests are not a replacement for PCR tests. We have to make the best use of what we have got,” said Dr Adhikari.



    author bio photo

    The Record  We are an independent digital publication based in Kathmandu, Nepal. Our stories examine politics, the economy, society, and culture. We look into events both current and past, offering depth, analysis, and perspective. Explore our features, explainers, long reads, multimedia stories, and podcasts. There’s something here for everyone.



    Comments

    Get the best of

    the Record

    Previous Next

    YOU MAY ALSO LIKE

    COVID19

    News

    3 min read

    Covid19 Roundup, 20 April: Dirty Politics amid crisis & more

    Record Nepal - April 20, 2020

    A daily summary of Covid19 related developments that matter

    Features

    3 min read

    Art in the time of Covid-19: more visual artists

    The Record - March 26, 2021

    The Record is back with its mini-series of artists and the projects they worked on during the lockdown and the pandemic.

    Features

    7 min read

    Salvaging tourism

    Bhadra Sharma - June 16, 2020

    The tourism sector needs intervention, quickly

    Week in Politics

    5 min read

    Govt. fumbling over Corona, Oli discharged, ride-sharing ban overturned, Nepal pro nuclear exploration and trade, a bolstered Right

    The Record - March 15, 2020

    The week in politics: what happened, what does it mean, why does it matter?

    COVID19

    Features

    4 min read

    Apex court offers two options to the Oli govt: ensure free Covid testing or face action

    The Record - November 5, 2020

    In recent times, the Supreme Court, which has handed down many controversial verdicts, seems to be the only state organ that cares about public health

    Features

    6 min read

    Oli has scheduled an election for spring but prospects are slim

    Bhadra Sharma - January 8, 2021

    A series of constitutional, political, logistical, and temporal constraints will have to be resolved if a legitimate election is to be held in spring

    COVID19

    Explainers

    8 min read

    Here’s all you need to know about the Covid-19 treatments everyone is talking about

    Marissa Taylor - May 6, 2021

    With misinformation rampant on social media, it is imperative that people know what Covid-19 treatments work and what do not.

    COVID19

    Features

    4 min read

    The race to trial Covid-19 vaccines in Nepal

    The Record - September 13, 2020

    Three countries are courting Nepal to conduct anti-corona vaccines here, but experts caution Nepal to proceed carefully

    • About
    • Contributors
    • Jobs
    • Contact

    CONNECT WITH US

    © Copyright the Record | All Rights Reserved | Privacy Policy