Rapid tests for Covid surveillance in slums may kick off in Dharavi - The... https://epaper.timesgroup.com/Olive/ODN/TimesOfIndia/PrintArticle.as...

Rapid tests for Covid surveillance in slums

may kick off in Dharavi
—Clara Lewis & Malathy Iyer

Mumbai:

The stage is set for the city’s first Covid-19 surveillance using rapid blood tests in the worst-hit slums, said
civic officials. Dharavi, which has witnessed 808 cases, including 26 deaths, since April 1, is likely to be
the flag-off point for the study, which will be done by the BMC along with Stanford University and Bill &
Melinda Gates Foundation. “Our surveillance in the slums will help us know the extent of population
affected by Covid-19,” said a senior BMC official, adding the surveillance is likely to begin next week .

There is a possibility that an indigenous Eliza test kit (which can test 100 samples in one hour) developed
by NIV will be used during the surveillance. The kit has been vetted by Kasturba Hospital and Haffkine
Institute and will soon be given to a commercial organisation for mass manufacturing.

Some rapid test kits will also be used, said the official, adding that the test kits were validated by Sion
Hospital’s microbiology team. “We have done a small pilot project by using the kits to test our healthcare
workers,” said Sion Hospital acting dean Dr P Ingale. Not all the slums where the surveillance will be
carried out have been identified so far.

Rapid test kits and Eliza kits are blood tests that will reveal whether the patient has antibodies to Covid-19.
“At present, we only know the number of patients who have been diagnosed using a nasal swab test. Most
of them had symptoms or were close contacts of positive patients,” said the official.

“However, there may be a number of asymptomatic persons who would have developed antibodies. The
rapid test as well as the Eliza kits can pick up the antibodies, proving that person was exposed to Covid,”
said a doctor. The blood-based rapid tests can thus provide a good indication of how widespread the
infection is. The surveillance can thus help civic officials better plan public health strategies. “Even
decisions on lockdowns can be taken on basis of such an extensive surveillance,” said the doctor.

1 of 1 09-05-2020, 08:07