Three new rapid COVID-19 tests approved for use in Abu Dhabi

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.

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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 as well as in eight drive thru 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.

WAM