This story is from June 2, 2020

South Korean rapid test kit is 70% efficient: Karnataka doctor

A South Korea-based rapid testing kit was found to be 70-85% efficient in detecting Sars-Cov-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, according to a validation exercise undertaken at the Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute (BMCRI) lab. Six rapid testing samples were validated at the BMCRI lab.
South Korean rapid test kit is 70% efficient: Karnataka doctor
A file pic of a man being thermally checked. The cost of a test using the South Korean antibody rapid kit is around Rs 400
BENGALURU: A South Korea-based rapid testing kit was found to be 70-85% efficient in detecting Sars-Cov-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, according to a validation exercise undertaken at the Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute (BMCRI) lab. Six rapid testing samples were validated at the BMCRI lab.
“Of the six, we have got validation of one. The sensitivity of the kit depends on the viral load,” said Dr KN Manjunath, nodal officer for labs and testing, Covid-19 taskforce of Karnataka.
To determine the sensitivity of the kits, serum from a Covid-19 positive patient under treatment at Victoria Hospital was used.
Experts, however, insist RT-PCR (reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction) process is the gold standard in Covid-19 testing. Antibody rapid testing kits can be used in containment zones and for surveillance activities, but cannot be a substitute for RT-PCR test, say experts.
The rapid immune-based testing kit is used to detect the coronavirus antigen. The testing kit, which was widely used in China and South Korea, detects both immunoglobulin (Ig) M and IgG antibodies, which are released during the initial and later stages of an infection respectively.
“The rapid testing kits may not be able to detect infection at a very initial stage. In the initial stages, its sensitivity is 30% and between 1and 14 days of the disease’s progression, the sensitivity goes up to 65%. In the third week of the infection, the testing result becomes more acute with 70-85 % efficacy,” Dr Manjunath explained.
The kits use capillary blood or serum plasma of Covid-19 suspected individuals to confirm the test. Results are available in 15 minutes. As of now, an RT-PCR-based confirmatory test will be conducted only if a person tests positive in rapid testing.

The price a test using the rapid kit works out to Rs 400, which is considerably lower than an RT-PCR test and is likely to be the dominant diagnostic tool going forward.
It can be recalled that the efficacy of rapid testing kits from China, that were sent to the state by ICMR in April, were found to be faulty with just about 47% sensitivity. Following this, the state government cancelled orders for two lakh rapid antibody testing kits it ordered from Chinese firms.
On May 19, ICMR has approved 99 rapid testing kits of several varieties including ELISA (the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay), based, antibody based, fluorescent rapid antigen based test.
Karnataka State Drugs Logistics and Warehousing Society had called for tenders recently to procure antibody based rapid testing kits in May. About 15 companies participated in the process and six gave test kit samples for validation.
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