The process of starting rapid (antigen and antibody) tests in the country gained momentum when the DGHS expressed its support for the introduction of antibody and antigen tests in the country in June. In late August, the health minister announced the government's decision to approve antigen tests, which turned into reality on September 21. Also Read - Govt approves antigen testing for Covid-19Initially, the tests will be arranged in the districts where there is no opportunity for testing through RT-PCR machines, he added. Antigen tests are immunoassays that detect the presence of a specific viral antigen, which implies current viral infection. Antigen tests for Sars-CoV-2 are generally less sensitive than viral tests that detect nucleic acid using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).

Source: Dhaka Tribune December 05, 2020 06:42 UTC