Make antigen test kits widely available

It is disappointing to see the government's laissez-faire approach to curbing the recent surge in Covid-19. Given the speed at which the Omicron variant of the coronavirus is said to be spreading, we are baffled that the authorities are ignoring the use of rapid antigen test kits to make diagnosis faster. According to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), 23 brands of rapid antigen test kits, authorised by the government for emergency use, can currently be found in 545 public and 100 private healthcare points across Bangladesh. Unsupervised use by individuals is currently prohibited. Even so, according to one of our reports, test kits of one of the approved brands are available in the market for people to buy directly. Would it not be more beneficial if, given the Covid surge, the government allowed for all the approved brands to be available directly to consumers, so that pricing could be fair and regulated? This would also help ensure faster access and better quality.

The exclusivity of antigen kits might have made sense earlier when the infection rate was relatively slower. However, the rate of increase in Covid-19 cases is hinting at the arrival of a third wave, and experts agree that speedy identification of an infected person, and isolating and treating them straight away, is ideal in this situation. That is exactly how making rapid antigen test kits widely available can help us during this time. Of course, nothing can beat the accuracy of PCR tests, but given how expensive they can be, many carriers avoid getting tested and end up exposing other people to the virus. Though the cost of antigen test kits available at healthcare points can still be out of reach for some, their retail price will surely be lower once they are in the market.

However, the DGHS director-general's comment to this daily that making at-home rapid testing available will be "considered" if many other countries do it as well—and that there are no plans for going in that direction as of now—is not reassuring. Given that countries such as the UK made these test kits widely available long before the emergence of Omicron—and the experts' opinion on how such rapid identification of the virus can help curb the number of cases in Bangladesh—we believe it is high time the government considered releasing rapid antigen tests in the market. Not only will this make testing cheaper, faster, and easier, but it will also encourage people to take their symptoms seriously and get treatment soon.

As the UN health chief has warned, Omicron's symptoms may seem mild, but it can be dangerous to underestimate its severity.