Bangkok battles rising contagion with rapid antigen tests | Inquirer News

Bangkok battles rising contagion with rapid antigen tests

/ 06:08 PM July 26, 2021

bangkok rapid antigen tests

The Nation/Asia News Network

BANGKOK — Rapid antigen tests are the latest weapon being deployed by Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) in its battle against the wave of Covid-19 infections threatening to swamp the capital.

Bangkok Governor Aswin Kwanmuang said BMA has so far deployed officials to conduct rapid Covid-19 tests on Bangkokians living in six districts.

Article continues after this advertisement

“Antigen test kits are being used at six testing stations to facilitate residents and speed up proactive testing,” he said. The test kits provide results within 30 minutes and are over 90 per cent accurate, he added.

FEATURED STORIES

People who get a negative result after taking an antigen test will be allowed to return home, while those who test positive must take an RT-PCR test to confirm the infection, he said.

“This method enables the BMA to conduct tests on 1,000 to 2,000 people per day and laboratories to return test results within two days,” he said.

Article continues after this advertisement

He added that the National Health Security Office (NHSO) will offer the home/community isolation service or hospitalization to people whose rapid antigen test comes back positive.

Article continues after this advertisement

Bangkok registered 2,573 new infections on Monday as the country logged a new daily high of 15,376 Covid-19 cases, with 87 deaths.

Of them 11,064 have been infected locally, 3,257 were found via proactive tests, 1,041 were inmates and 14 were returnees.

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.

Subscribe to our daily newsletter

By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy.

For more news about the novel coronavirus click here.
What you need to know about Coronavirus.
For more information on COVID-19, call the DOH Hotline: (02) 86517800 local 1149/1150.

The Inquirer Foundation supports our healthcare frontliners and is still accepting cash donations to be deposited at Banco de Oro (BDO) current account #007960018860 or donate through PayMaya using this link.

TAGS: Bangkok, COVID-19, Health

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.

Subscribe to our newsletter!

By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy.

© Copyright 1997-2024 INQUIRER.net | All Rights Reserved

This is an information message

We use cookies to enhance your experience. By continuing, you agree to our use of cookies. Learn more here.