60% of Indian districts prefer ‘less reliable’ antigen tests to detect Covid: Health ministry data

According to Ministry of Health data, while RT-PCR has been the preferred method for Covid-19 testing in urban areas, antigen tests are more common in rural areas.

A majority of Indian districts, including in some of the worst Covid-affected states such as Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra, have opted for rapid antigen tests to detect coronavirus cases, health ministry data reveal. Incidentally, RT-PCR tests are considered more reliable in detecting the Sars-Cov-2 virus. Antigen tests are a relatively less accurate method of Covid testing. This is because RT-PCR tests can detect Covid infection even before the person becomes infectious, while antigen tests may generate false negatives in such a situation. Health ministry data show that while RT-PCR has been the preferred route for Covid testing in urban centres, antigen tests prevail in rural areas.