Luanda - The Multisectoral Commission for the Prevention and Combat against Covid-19 announced, last Thursday, in Luanda, the beginning of the use of rapid antigen testing, to accelerate the mass testing process and identify new cases in the country.
According to the Secretary of State for Public Health, Franco Mufinda, who was speaking at the usual update session of Covid-19 data in Angola, the antigen test is also done with the use of the swab, but its result is obtained in just 15 minutes.
Some specialists/virologists also show that the antigen test, in certain situations, can be even better than RT-PCR (molecular biology test), among several reasons by identifying who has Covid-19 in just 15 minutes, reaching more than90% in the diagnosis.
Due to its effectiveness and speed in the diagnosis of Covid-19, the secretary of State advanced that, in addition to Luanda, the antigen test will also be sent to the remaining provinces, with a view to accelerating the screening process in communities.
He also recalled that, like the other tests used in Angola, citizens who Intend to do the antigen test, on their own initiative, will also have to pay the same amount paid in RT-PCR, estimated at 75,000 kwanzas, in public hospitals, and 170,000 kwanzas, in private clinics.
With the start of the use of the antigen test, Angola now has four methods/options to confirm and rule out possible cases of covid-19 in the country, namely, the
molecular biology (RT-PCR), considering the standard, Serological and Elisa.
