Health Ministry launch rapid COVID-19 test service on a trial basis

Health Ministry launch rapid COVID-19 test service on a trial basis

The Ministry of Health has launched the Rapid COVID-19 Test service on a trial basis. Primary Healthcare Labs Chief Batoul Al-Alawi said that 20,000 tests would be initially conducted, focusing on teachers, students, medical teams on the frontline and symptomatic patients. The Rapid Test detects COVID-19 infections through a nasal swab with an accurate diagnosis of the patient's condition within 15 minutes without the need for a specialised laboratory. The new service is part of initiatives spearheaded by the National Taskforce for Combating COVID-19 to facilities tests and keep abreast of international developments. “The test results are the same as those currently approved in laboratories for Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing”, said the ministry. The Primary Healthcare Labs Chief indicated that this test does not substitute for a PCR