The explosive outbreak of Covid-19 has impacted nations with the worst results. The prominent symptoms of this disease are cold, cough, fever, tastelessness, absence of sense of smell and in severe cases failure of major body organs like heart, liver or kidneys. It is a fatal disease and has caused millions of deaths all over the globe from 2020-2021. It is caused by SARS-Cov-2(Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Corona Virus-2), which is a single stranded RNA virus from the family Coronaviridae. This virus spreads from one person to another by droplets from coughing, sneezing or from indirect contaminated surfaces. In most of the cases there are mild or no symptoms but those patients can act as carrier and can infect all people in their contact. Hence it is very necessary to detect the virus at very early stages of infection to prevent the patient from its hazardous effects.
Antigen Rapid Test Kit: The SARS-Cov-2 replicates primarily in mucosal epithelium of nasal cavity and pharynx. The rapid antigen test detects the presence of virus in specimens of nasal swab. It identifies the neucleoprotein carried by the virus. It is a rapid chromatographic immunoassay to identify the specific antigens of SARS-COV-2 present in nasal or oral swabs.
The rapid antigen test kit is strictly recommended to be used in authorized labs or government organised rapid test centers. It provides a qualitative result highlighting coloured bands confirming the presence of antigens of SARS-COV-2.
This Antigen Rapid Test Kit enables quick results, minimizing the gap between infection and disgnosis so that an immediate treatment or quarantine process can be initiated, if the person is tested positive for the specific antigen. Also, the kit is very small in size, easily portable and requires no additional lab tools to perform the test. Due to which the test can be performed at any rapid test center nearby rural locations in the absence of a well equipped lab.
Procedure for rapid antigen test:
-Sample collection: A sterile swab is inserted into the nostril or mouth of the person and is rotated onto nasopharyngeal or oesopharyngeal surface.
-Sample preparation: The swab is then inserted into extraction tube and is swirled 5 times in the tube. After it, the swab is removed by pressing the sides of the tube gently to extract the sample.
-Antigen test: The extracted antigen is mixed with sample dropper. The test device is placed on a flat surface and 3-4 drops of specimen is applied on the specimen well of test device.
-Analyzing result: It takes 15-20 minutes to show the results:
*A coloured line (Test line )in the lower section of result window indicates a positive result.
*A coloured line(Control line) only in the top section of the result window indicates a negative test.
*Absence of coloured lines in top section indicates an invalid test and should be performed again with a new kit.
Rapid antigen test is cost effective and yields accurate results within 15-20 minutes.
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