Chronicle Editor
Thandeka Moyo-Ndlovu, Health Reporter
THE World Health Organisation (WHO) has commended Zimbabwe for upscaling the use of antigen rapid diagnostic tests to reinforce its Covid-19 response.
The tests increased fourfold within just two months after the method was launched in November 2020.
The country is now conducting about 4 000 rapid Covid-19 tests daily.
Reports from the Ministry of Health and Child Care show that the rapid tests have been a game-changer in ensuring that more people tested for Covid-19 in Zimbabwe.
The country has to date conducted more than 125 606 antigen rapid diagnostic tests and over 412 458 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests.
Rapid diagnostic tests are easy to use and do not require a laboratory or expensive equipment like the PCR.
Rapid tests are likely to pick the virus when patients are most likely infectious. This period stretches from the first to the third day before one develops symptoms. When one has cleared the infection and is recovering a rapid test result will be negative.
PCR test is able to detect a Covid-19 infection even before the person becomes infectious and will allow early isolation.
WHO recommends that the antigen rapid tests be used in four scenarios which include in suspected outbreaks where there is no access to polymerase chain reaction testing.
“Zimbabwe has upscaled the use of antigen rapid diagnostic tests to reinforce its Covid-19 response, hitting a daily rate of 4000 tests — a fourfold increase reached within just two months after the method was launched in November 2020.
These tests can be used in remote, hard-to-reach areas; to trace the extent of an outbreak where at least one case is detected through polymerase chain reaction, including in closed and semi closed settings such as prisons, schools and care homes. These tests can also be used among high-risk groups like health workers; and in areas with widespread community transmission,” said WHO.
According to Dr Raiva Simbi, the Deputy Director Laboratory Services in the Ministry of Health and Child care, initially Covid-19 tests were done through the standard polymerase chain reaction in a major laboratory in the capital Harare and later decentralized to the provinces.
“Even then this was hamstrung by shortages in the supply of reagents due to global competition and longer turn-around time for test results. The rapid diagnostic tests have been distributed to clinics in rural areas and results are received 20–30 minutes (at the minimum), a time reduction from up to one week in certain cases when results through the polymerase chain reaction testing had to be sent back to far-flung localities,” said Dr Simbi.
“Most of our clinics are able to do tests using the rapid diagnostic test kits and the advantages of the turn-around time outweigh the supremacy of the PCR [polymerase chain reaction] in terms of technological advancement. We are very happy that we are covering the whole country in terms of diagnosis of Covid-19.”
The WHO says at least 600 sites have been set up for the rapid diagnostic tests and more than 1800 health workers from the country’s 10 provinces have been trained in their use.
“Antigen rapid diagnostic tests are also useful in other aspects of Covid-19 prevention and control such as supporting treatment, contact tracing, surveillance and outbreak investigations. Health worker training is ongoing to reinforce skills particularly in remote areas with no laboratories or laboratory personnel, increasing testing capacity and coverage,” said WHO. — @thamamoe
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