BRAC to start antigen test from Saturday

BRAC is launching antigen-based Covid-19 rapid testing from Saturday to get results within a comparatively short time frame. The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) will oversee the whole system, said BRAC in a press release on Friday.

In the first stage, BRAC will run the rapid testing in 16 booths, including 15 in Dhaka and one in Chattogram.

Since March 2020, BRAC has been collecting samples to detect coronavirus through RT-PCR test by installing testing booths (kiosks) in different parts of the country. It is now adding the Rapid Antigen Test to the existing facilities.

The plan to expand this activity has come amid the massive surge of covid-19 infections. The rapid antigen test facility will gradually expand to BRAC’s 32 testing booths in Dhaka and 4 testing booths in Chattogram, according to the Health, Nutrition and Population Programme (HNPP) of BRAC.

The booths will open from 9:00am to 12:00pm from every Saturday to Thursday. Each booth will be able to collect and analyse 150 samples a day.

Director of BRAC Health, Nutrition and Population Programme Morseda Chowdhury said, “To tackle the current situation, there is no alternative to maintain health advisories, along with testing suspects and referring them for isolation. I hope taking the Rapid Antigen Test to the doors of the people will play an important role in this regard, as it will help speedy diagnosis and management of the patients.”