PETALING JAYA: The Health Ministry has advised against using the antibody rapid test kit (RTK) to ascertain if a person has been infected with the Covid-19 virus.
Health Director-General Datuk Seri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah (pix) said the RTK is an antibody serological test that requires a drop of blood taken from a finger. He said this method cannot be used to detect the virus.
The RTK antibody test is available at private clinics for those wanting to know if they have been infected before they return to work.
Noor Hisham said yesterday that the issue has been raised by several parties.
He said the only way to detect Covid-19 virus is through an antigen that is done using a process called “Real Time Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction or simply known as RTK antigen test.
He said both tests require the use of nasopharyngeal swabs taken by trained medical officers who should be wearing personal protective equipment. Laboratory equipment is used to process the samples.
Noor Hisham said RTK antibody serological tests using blood samples from a finger cannot be used to detect the virus.
“This is because the presence of antibodies does not confirm there is an infection, while negative results do not guarantee the individual tested is not infected with Covid-19.”
However, he said the RTK antibody test could be used for conducting a study of the prevalence of Covid-19 infection in a community or target group such as a working group.
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