THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The first set of rapid antigen tests for expatriates returning through Thiruvananthapuram International Airport started late on Saturday.The change in strategy was brought in as the waiting period for the RTPCR test results after the antibody checks were high. The revised guidelines to do rapid antigen tests were issued on Thursday. The antigen tests will be done on passengers arriving in the Doha flight late on Saturday.
“Till now, we were conducting antibody tests and the patients were moved to institutional quarantine centres if they tested positive or showed any symptoms. But passengers had to for swab results to arrive to confirm whether they had contracted Covid-19 or not. But things will change with an additional antigen tests as the results will be available in within half-an-hour. This means that we don’t have to wait longer to make a decision regarding the patient,” said a health department official.
According to the revised guidelines, expatriates arriving at airports with symptoms will be moved to first-line Covid treatment centres or Covid hospitals. In case of asymptomatic passengers, rapid antibody test will be done first. If tested positive, rapid antigen test will be done. They will be moved to hospital if they test positive in antigen test too.