India Coronavirus Dispatch: Newer rapid antigen tests promise more accuracy

ICU beds fill up in Delhi, new studies shed more light on the virus, how to socialise in the festive season amid Covid-19, and more-news on how the country is coping with the pandemic

Newer rapid antigen tests promise more accurate results, but scale of use in India a concern

Quicker and cheaper but less reliable than the “gold standard” RT-PCR, rapid antigen tests (RAT) have come a long way since they were introduced for Covid-19 testing around five months ago. They now form an important cog in Covid management as part of the Swiss Cheese Model, a strategy that underlines putting up a multi-pronged defence against the disease instead of taking piecemeal measures. 

There have been concerns about the tests as they are known to be prone to false negatives, but newer variants