Explained: To do rapid tests, or not to

The Indian Council of Medical Research on Tuesday advised states not to use rapid test kits for the next two days, saying it would issue an advisory after their teams carry out field validation of these equipment.

The Indian Council of Medical Research on Tuesday advised states not to use rapid test kits for the next two days, saying it would issue an advisory after their teams carry out field validation of these equipment. At the daily briefing, ICMR's Dr Raman R Gangakhedkar was asked about the faulty rapid testing kits. "We have received complaint from a state yesterday and so far discussed with three states. Too much variations have been reported in results of rapid test kits and RT-PCR kits. We advise states not to use them for the next two days," he said. "These kits will be tested and validated in the field by our teams. We will issue a clear-cut advisory in two day. If problems are detected in batches, we will tell the companies for replacement," he said.