Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)
Mangaluru, Oct 13: The health department, with the purpose of finding out the effect of Covid on frontline workers of the department handling coronavirus and other diseases in coastal districts, has been conducting Rapid Antibody Tests (RAT) on them.
Health workers are more prone to virus infections. Through symptoms, it is observed that a few have been suffering from the infection. A few of them would have been subjected to RT-PCR tests in the past, but in most cases, symptoms had not emerged into the open. There is the risk of the infection spreading from such workers to the general public. At a future date, there are chances of this infection getting aggravated. Therefore RAT tests are being conducted on health workers.
These tests are going on in both Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts from a week. Dakshina Kannada has received 1,200 test kits while Udupi has got 1,400. For antibody tests, blood samples are collected as opposed to rapid antigen kits which use throat swabs. These tests confirm whether antibodies for Covid virus have been created in the bodies. These tests may give three results, IgM-IgG, and negative. IgM means viruses continue to thrive in the body and antibodies are generated. IgG is antibodies have formed and chances of the virus becoming strong again are bleak. A negative result indicates no infection to the body so far.
In Dakshina Kannada district, a few complaints about Covid having resurfaced in the same patients have emerged. It is said that in some, even after the people were cured of Covid, Covid positive result was obtained in some. The district administration does not have concrete information on these cases. However, district health officer, Dr Ramachandra Bairy, explains that even after the Covid virus dies, it remains in the body for three months.
Udupi district health officer, Dr Sudhir Chandra Sooda said that antibody tests are conducted to assess the capacity to generate antibodies among the people. He said that the district does not have cases in which people who were cured have complained of another infection. However, he said that there are patients who have not healed even after a month of treatment.
Anyone who has a suspicion about the relapse of Covid infection can visit the hospital and get the antibody test done. Sometimes, PCR tests give positive results because of destroyed viruses. They do not spread infection, Dr Bairy clarifies.