Kolkata: Howrah district authorities have initiated conducting a rapid antigen test to identify a COVID-19 patient at the earliest.
The rapid test has been started from Tuesday at Howrah District Hospital. Every day 50 tests are getting conducted.
"We have received 500 kits for a rapid antigen test. It will continue for ten days now with 50 tests per day," said Dr Bhabani Das, Chief Medical Officer (Health) of Howrah.
She said that earlier in April once a team from SSKM Hospital had conducted a rapid test in the district for two days. Since then this is the first time when a rapid test is taking place in Howrah. "This time kits have been provided to us and we are conducting the tests," she maintained.
Preference is given to conduct rapid tests on people who are turning up with mild fever and COVID-19 like symptoms. The report of the same is received in just 40 minutes time. A person is sent for RT-PCR tests if he or she is found positive in rapid antigen tests. Rapid test is conducted twice on the person whose first test report comes negative. It is done to be sure that the person is not suffering from the disease.
The district administration has also set up 19 Safe Homes with 1,000 beds. At present people are admitted in only 40 percent of the beds in six out of 19 safe homes. It has come up in different blocks at community centres and flood centres.
At the same time, the district authorities have taken a move to take 100 beds at Belur Shramajibi Hospital for treatment of COVID-19 patients. The 100 beds will remain distributed in three floors. One floor will remain dedicated for critical COVID-19 patients.