In a remarkable step towards curbing the coronavirus in Abu Dhabi, the Department of health in Abu Dhabi has approved three new Covid-19 tests to be practiced in the healthcare centres of the emirate.

Apart from these healthcare centres, emergency departments and urgent care centres will also be carrying out these tests in the capital. These new tests will ensure that a person gets faster results and does not have to wait in a long queue to get tested for the virus. It will also ensure that more and more people are getting tested, which will help in identifying and tracing people who are in contact with the positive tested.

Apart from ensuring faster results, tests will also guide physicians to give patients a treatment that is the most suitable to them. The tests that were approved by Abu Dhabi authorities on Saturday this month include--the antigen test, the RT-LAMP test and the saliva test. The saliva test is an easy alternative to nasal swab test especially when it comes to children.

The antigen test however, is a little different. It identifies the antibodies that are there inside the patient's body due to Covid-19. This will be detected with the health of a nasal swab sample which, at the time of testing, will be labeled with a dye for easier measurement. The test will show results in 20 minutes. The method is not only fast but equally effective also.

The third and last test is RT-LAMP test is a generic test that is different to the other two COVID-19 detecting tests by its ability to act faster. The process involves the healthcare official to place a nasal swab collection under equal-tempered conditions and will give the result within an hour.

"We have dedicated our efforts to enabling Abu Dhabi’s healthcare sector to continue providing world-class quality and safe emergency services. To that end, we have approved a new set of diagnostic tests of COVID-19 that are based on global updates and the latest scientific developments in the detection of the COVID-19 virus to be used in emergency departments across the emirate,” said the undersecretary of Department of Health of Abu Dhabi, Dr. Jamal Mohammed Al Kaabi.

As for the most commonly available PCR test is being provided in 24 Abu Dhabi HealthCare centres and testing laboratories. The emirate also has eight drive thru test centres installed in high demanding areas. The new tests will guarantee faster results while ensuring efficiency. 

WAM