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| RAT adds to confusion | | | Rapid Antigen Testing (RAT) being carried out in Jammu region to prevent the COVID-19 from spreading within the community has come under scanner as there have been cases where people have tested positive during the rapid testing but the same people who test positive during RAT have tested negative in laboratories and hospitals.
If the RAT is not reliable then the government needs to stop it to avoid confusion among the people. This positive, negative game is taking a heavy toll on the psychology of a common man and is hitting him hard.
Soon after the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic the ICMR had rejected the Chinese RAT kits as these were not upto the mark. But after more than six months locally manufactured RAT kits are being used at every place to check whether the person is positive or negative. Complaints have poured in from many places but the rapid testing continues.
Medicos and experts do ask the patients to go for a repeat test but the load on the government hospitals is immense. The ones who can afford do visit the private laboratories and hospitals. But the ones who cannot are left with no other option other than to remain under the mandatory quarantine period till their next test is conducted.
The authorities are claiming that rapid tests are being carried out to prevent the COVID-19 from spreading and testing is the only way forward till the vaccine comes. But the question, which everyone is asking is that if these rapid tests are unreliable then why are these being conducted.
During the past month the COVID-19 cases in Jammu region have witnessed a massive spike. This has sent alarm bells ringing as the authorities in the hospitals have been caught napping.
The issue of oxygen plants being incapable to cater to high end ventilators had snowballed into a major issue as no one expected the hospitals in Jammu region to take the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic so causally.
The incorrect Rapid Action Tests are adding to the anxiety and confusion. Authorities need to address this issue without any delay. The RAT kits which are giving false positive and negative reports need to be shelved. If it’s not done it could lead to a disaster as the people who will be positive will test negative and the ones who are healthy will test positive. |
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