DC directs health department to start using new Rapid antigen testing kits for all symptomatic and SARI patients

Jalandhar : In order to contain the spread of Covid-19 pandemic in the district, the deputy Commissioner Ghanshyam Thori on Saturday directed the health department to start using new rapid antigen testing kits in the district.Reviewing current situation and Covid preparedness with officials from civil, health and police departments, Mr Thori said that the use of these new rapid antigen testing kits would help to detect the positive cases soon as the results would be available within 30 minutes after its usage. He said that these kits would be performed immediately after taking Naso-pharynegeal swabs by the doctors or any nursing staff wearing PPE kits. He said that these kits would help to start the isolation, treatment and contract tracing quickly.A video-conference was also held by Chief Secretary Mrs Vinni Mahajan with all deputy commissioners of the state. He said that these kits would be used for the patients having severe acute respiratory infections (SARI) patients, symptomatic high-risk contacts of Covid-19 patients, symptomatic individuals found in the house to house screening in the containment and micro-containment zones.
He said that those would be found positive by Antigen testing, would be taken as confirmed case and those would be reported negative, would be re-tested by CB NAAT/trueNat/RT PCR.He said that the sampling must be done on war footage so that spread of pandemic could be checked at the earliest in the district.The Deputy Commissioner further told that civil and police officials to ensure curfew like strictness in the containment and micro-containment zones to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.Mr Thori said that reiterated that district administration was fully equipped with resources and manpower to combat Covid-19 and no stone would be left unturned for this noble cause adding that war against Corona Virus would be won with the support of people, who could contribute their share by confining them to home.He further told that there would not be any problem in delivering essential items to the people in these zones.Prominent among present occasion included MC Commissioner Mr Karnesh Sharma, Additional Deputy Commissioners Mr Vishesh Sarangal, Mr Jasbir Singh, SDMs Mr Rahul Sindhu, Mr Jai Inder Singh, Civil Surgeon Dr Gurinder Kaur Chawla and others.