Medical bodies urge Govt to increase diagnosis & screening for COVID 19 by using RT-PCR testing method

Influential bodies in the medical profession have called on the government to increase the diagnosis and screening for COVID 19 by using the  RT-PCR testing method .

They said that the test -Reverse-transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) approved by the  World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends confirmation of cases of COVID19 by nucleic acid amplification tests (NAAT), such .

The Sri Lanka Medical Association,  Sri Lanka Medical Association, Ceylon College of Physicians and Sri Lanka College of Microbiologists said that at least 1500  RT-CPR test a day be done on suspected persons within the border base of the existing public health response, in hotspots where the epidemic is rampant.

They concede that if the first  level contacts are covered through risk stratified/pooled sampling, evidence could be obtained  on how the next level of contacts could be screened and will decrease the current concerns and uncertainty regarding the number of asymptomatic patients in the country. According to the epidemiology unit of the Health Ministry currently there are 2000 first level contacts in Sri Lanka.

At present detection of the disease is done by a rapid serology test which detects antibodies in infected persons. It is argued that although the method is advantageous including ease of testing, availability of results within a shorter time and possibility of using as a point of care (PoC) these tests cannot replace the value of RT-PCR test in the acute diagnosis of COVID-19.

It is also maintained that the serology test on patients take up to 7 to 12 days to produce antibodies to COVID-19 infection and would result  in non-detection of  patients in the early stages of the disease giving false assurance giving negative results. (Chrishanthi Christopher)