ICMR Director-General Dr Balram Bhargava said on Wednesday that the lateral flow tests, including rapid-antigen and home-antigen tests, can detect COVID-19 from the third day after exposure to the virus to day eight. On the other hand, he said that the RT-PCR test can diagnose the infection for up to 20 days. From day three it will be detectable in the Lateral Flow Tests and up to day eight which is the infectious period." The ICMR director-general said that for Omicron, lateral flow tests have become the backbone. From day three it will be detectable in the Lateral Flow Tests and up to day eight which is the infectious period.

Source: dna January 13, 2022 16:40 UTC