Advisor to the Ministry of Health and Population Khem Bahadur Karki said the government has started the rapid tests in Kailali, Kanchanpur and Baglung districts from today.

According to Karki, the kit can give results within 15 minutes and the ministry will likely to conduct test among 7,600 people (at least 7,000 in Kailali and Kanchanpur and 600 in Baglung) who had been quarantined in Kailali, Kanchanpur and Baglung districts and people who came in contact with COVID-19 positive cases in those districts.

He also said the number of tests could increase as there could be more people staying in home quarantine reports The Himalayan Times.

“Today is the 13th day of the lockdown and this is the right time to conduct rapid tests as COVID-19 positive cases develop antibodies in the second week,” Karki said. He added that other types of coronavirus could also produce antibodies in the human body and to know whether the antibodies were developed by the novel coronavirus or other types of coronavirus, the people who tested positive for COVID-19 in the rapid test would be tested again through polymerase chain

The government has deployed 14-member teams of health professionals to conduct rapid laboratory tests in three districts — Kailali, Kanchanpur and Baglung reports the daily.