Questions arise around rapid test accuracy

Samples of 331 persons had been collected from Kailali and Kanchanpur on Thursday, and all of them tested negative. 121 people out of 331 are from Kanchanpur kept in seven different quarantine centers as they returned from different countries. According to the doctors, there are two methods of testing COVID-19 accurately, PCR (polymerase chain reaction) and rapid antibody test. Some doctors reported that rapid test is not very reliable. Dr. Jagdish Joshi, chief of the emergency department of Seti Provincial Hospital, said, "Rapid test is not as accurate as the PCR test. The PCR test must be performed for confirmation even if Coronavirus appears negative in the rapid test. The quality of the test kit also makes a lot of difference.” According to microbiologist Sunil Authors, the PCR test analyses swabs taken from the nose or throat while blood samples are tested on RDT. He said the rapid test reflects the immunity of the body.