The pandemic has changed the way we look at everything in life. While the pandemic has hit our personal lives, it has had a devastating effect on our professional life as well. Coronavirus Epidemic now plays a role in everything that we did on an everyday basis, including travelling. Antigen test is one of the two tests available for people looking to travel in the country between tests. Research shows that the pandemic has had its most difference to the hospitality and travelling business.
After the pandemic raging through the world and the country, there are ever-changing rules about travelling. The scenario is a bit better today, but there are still some rules and regulations about travelling that you cannot ignore. One of them is the RT-PCR test or even antigen testing, for that matter. The Government has made this test mandatory for anyone looking to travel between states. While the ticket collector will check the RT-PCR test during train travel, the security at the airport will check the RT-PCR test.
What is the RT-PCR Test?
In India, the Government has made the RT-PCR test mandatory for anyone who wishes to travel between states. Whether one is travelling via bus, air, or train, they should ensure they have the RT-PCR test. The RT-PCR test, full form, Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction is valid for 72 hours only.
What is the Antigen Test?
While the most common test is RT-PCR Test, the other test available is the anti-gen test. The Anti-gen test has some advantages over the RT-PCR test. To begin with, both the Anti-gen and the RT-PCR test do not need any special equipment. The Anti-gen test’s result takes about 20 minutes, while the RT-PCR test takes a whole day. Both are nasal/oral swabs, but the RT-PCR swab requires cold-chain transportation, while the Anti-gen doesn’t.
Who should take these tests?
These two tests are not just for those who are travelling. Doctors say that anyone who has the symptoms of Covid-19 should go in for either of the tests. he Antigen being the first yardstick and the PCR test being the final one. Also, doctors say that people who have recently returned from travel should also opt for one of these tests, preferably RT-PCR.
Anyone going through any medical procedure would also need to take one of these tests. For example, if you are to undergo a cataract operation, an outpatient operation, you would still need a Covid-19 test. In such a case, which one you have might depend on the medical organisation. With the pandemic on the verge of becoming an endemic – meaning a virus that stays in the atmosphere – these tests might become mandatory, as will the vaccine, which is still at the initial stage. We will need to make amends in our daily lifestyle to make way for these tests at any given time.
How to take RT-PCR Tests?
Today, you can call a medical professional home to take the RT-PCR test, and you will get the results within twenty-four hours.
Also, it takes a minimum of one day for the results to be delivered. Some institutes offer the results within two or three hours, but they charge a premium for that. It is the most common test to check whether someone has a Coronavirus infection.
If you are looking to undergo an RT-PCR test in Mumbai, you will need to go to a private hospital. There are no Government Hospitals that offer the RT-PCR test. A typical RT-PCR test costs about 1000 to 2000 rupees. Initially, the cost of an RT-PCR test was about 4500 rupees. The Government later capped it to 2000 rupees and then to 1000 rupees.
Disadvantages of Antigen Test
However, the medical fraternity does not give its full support to the Anti-gen test because it doesn’t read into some of the proteins that might be in the virus in the initial stages. Therefore, only those with extreme symptoms can undergo the test.
In some cases, doctors recommend patients to go through an RT-PCR test even if the Anti-gen test comes out to be negative. The Anti-gen test is not as expensive as the RT-PCR test and can be mass testing as a first barrier. Also, the Anti-gen test swabs should reach the hospitals within an hour. This can’t happen in all cases, causing the entire process to fail.
Where is Antigen test used?
At some railway platforms that are ports of call for outstation trains, you will find that the Government has set up kiosks that run anti-gen tests for commuters who do not have the RT-PCR test. Another difference between the Rapid Antigen test and the RT-PCR test is that the RAT test cannot be undertaken at a lab and needs a hospital environment.
To put it in a nutshell, the Antigen test and the RT-PCR test use the same mode, nasal and oral swabs. But the medical world considers PCR as the gold standard of Covid testing.
Here’s a simple list of the differences between the RT-PCR and the Anti-gen test. Keep in mind, in most states in the country and probably the world, you will need the RT-PCR test if you plan to travel or even to return to your professional life.
One of the biggest problems that companies face right now for reopening offices is these tests. According to Government mandates, people who are rejoining offices have to test themselves, and the question arises as to who will be bearing the costs of the RT-PCR tests. Also, there’s always the question of one person requiring multiple Covid-19 tests because of the timeframe.
If you plan to have an RT-PCR test or an Antigen test, make sure that you contact your local medical organisation in due time. You might also need to confirm the price, because currently the costs range from 1000 to 2000 rupees.
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