New COVID-19 tests approved in capital, result in 20 minutes
The three new approved tests include the antigen test, the RT-LAMP test and the saliva test. The saliva test can be used for children in healthcare facilities if a nose swab is not possible
The Department of Health - Abu Dhabi (DOH) has approved three new COVID-19 tests to be used in Abu Dhabi’s healthcare facilities’ emergency departments and urgent care centres.
The new tests provide faster results and will efficiently contribute to physicians’ decision-making when it comes to providing suitable treatment for patients.
The three new approved tests include the antigen test, the RT-LAMP test and the saliva test. The saliva test can be used for children in healthcare facilities if a nose swab is not possible.
The antigen test detects the antibodies that are produced by COVID-19 in the patient’s body via a nasal swab sample, which are labelled with a dye that can be measured and thus determine whether there is an infection within 20 minutes.
The RT-LAMP genetic test is distinguished by its ability to detect COVID-19 cases quickly compared to the PCR test. The test is conducted through a nasal swab collection to be placed under equal-tempered conditions. That will provide results within an hour.
Dr Jamal Mohammed Al Kaabi, Undersecretary of DOH, said, “At DOH, 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.”
The PCR test is currently being provided in 24 healthcare centres and laboratories and eight drivethrough test centres across the emirate. The new set of tests will be provided in emergency departments and urgent care centres to accelerate the testing and results process in order to contribute to the fight against COVID-19.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health and Prevention (MOHAP) announced that 60,991 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine were administered in the past 24 hours. The total number of doses provided up to Sunday stand at 2,487,784 with a rate of vaccine distribution of 25.15 doses per 100 people.
The vaccination drive is in line with the ministry’s plan to provide the vaccine to all members of society and acquire herd immunity, which will help reduce the number of cases and control the spread of the virus. The ministry on Sunday announced that it conducted 179,117 additional COVID-19 tests over the past 24 hours, using state-of-the-art medical testing equipment.
In a statement, the ministry stressed its aim to continue expanding the scope of testing nationwide to facilitate the early detection of coronavirus cases and carry out the necessary treatment. As part of its intensified testing campaign, MOHAP announced 3,579 new coronavirus cases, bringing the total number of recorded cases in the UAE to 277,955.
According to the ministry, the infected individuals are from various nationalities, are in a stable condition, and receiving the necessary care.
MOHAP also announced 9 deaths due to COVID-19 complications, bringing the total number of deaths in the country to 792.
The ministry expressed its sincere condolences to the family of the deceased and wished COVID-19 patients a speedy and full recovery. It called on all members of the society to cooperate with health authorities, adhere to the instructions and physical distance to ensure the health and safety of all.
MOHAP also noted that an additional 4,166 individuals had fully recovered from COVID-19, bringing the total number of recoveries to 251,484.
Also during the day, the Department of Health - A bud ha bi announced the beginning of an enhanced model of home care services in the emirate, to ensure access and availability of high-quality home care medical services to eligible patients in line with international standards and global best practices.
Through these enhancements, DOH will address areas of improvement to home care services including: providing clearer guidelines on patient eligibility; improving the definition of services provided in a home care seting; requiring clearer licencing requirements for home care providers, including international accreditation requirements; enhancing the supervision of home care services by competent physicians; defining clearer patient-discharge mechanisms; strengthening the home care referral process to strictly follow medical advice; and rewarding quality and beter patient experience through innovative, evidence-based reimbursement structure.