Department of Health and Family Welfare Nagaland has permitted private hospitals and laboratories in the state for testing of COVID-19 through TrueNat and Rapid Antigen Detection Test subject to fulfillment of ICMR criteria. (Image by Belova59 from Pixabay)
Kohima, August 2 (MExN): As per Government of India guideline, the Department of Health and Family Welfare, has permitted private hospitals and laboratories in the state for testing of COVID-19 through TrueNat and Rapid Antigen Detection Test subject to fulfillment of ICMR criteria.
The department issued a statement on Sunday informing that private hospitals and laboratories are allowed to test any individual by fulfilling the criteria for COVID testing on prescription by qualified medical practitioner including private practitioners.
Registered private hospitals and laboratories are allowed to charge user's fee for COVID testing at the rate fixed by the State Government, it added.
The department meanwhile informed that interested private hospitals and laboratories initiating COVID-19 testing may send their details by email to stong@mtcp.org.
TrueNat system
The TrueNat system is a comprehensive assay for screening and confirmation of COVID-19 cases. No further RT-PCR based confirmation is required if the samples are positive on confirmatory assay.
The system have a quick turnaround time (30-60 minutes) but only 1-4 samples can be tested in one run, limiting the maximum numbers that can be tested to 24-48 samples per day only depending on the type of the model.
The sample is collected in viral lysis buffer and hence biosafety and biosecurity requirements for use of TrueNat machines are minimal. Safety is further augmented by the closed nature of these platforms and minimum sample handling.
Rapid Antigen Detection Test
The Rapid Antigen Detection Test is a rapid point of care antigen detection assay for testing in the containment zones as well as hospitals. It does not require a specialized machine and can be interpreted between 15 to 30 minutes with a naked eye. A positive test should be considered as a true positive whereas all symptomatic individuals testing negative through the rapid antigen test should be confirmed with a real-time PCR test.
The Rapid Antigen Detection Test is recommended in the following settings:
Containment zones or hotspots:
• All symptomatic Influenza Like Illness (ILI)/ Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI).
• Asymptomatic direct and high-risk contacts with co-morbidities (lung disease, heart disease, liver disease, kidney disease,
diabetes, neurological disorders, blood disorders) of a confirmed case to be tested once between day 5 and day 10 of coming into contact.
Healthcare settings
• All symptomatic ILI and SARI patients presenting in a healthcare setting and are suspected of having COVID19 infection.
• Asymptomatic patients who are hospitalized or seeking hospitalization, in the following high-risk groups:
a) Patients undergoing chemotherapy
b) Immuno-suppressed patients including those who are HIV+
c) Patients diagnosed with malignant disease
d) Transplant patients
e) Elderly patients (>65 yrs of age)
f) Patients with co-morbidities (lung disease, heart disease, liver disease, kidney disease, diabetes, neurological disorders, blood disorders)
• Asymptomatic patients undergoing aerosol generating surgical / non-surgical interventions:
a) Elective/emergency surgical procedures like neurosurgery, ENT surgery, dental procedures etc.
b) Non-surgical interventions like bronchoscopy, upper GI endoscopy and dialysis etc.
