Five found +ve after antigen test in Kolkata's Patipukur market

KOLKATA: Five persons tested Covid positive in a rapid antigen test conducted at the Patipukur fish market— a wholesale hub at north Kolkata — on Sunday morning. A total of 60 people were tested.
The Kolkata Municipal Corporation is conducting rapid antigen tests at markets in north Kolkata to identify and isolate asymptomatic Covid-19 patients to stop the disease spread.
Last weekend, KMC’s rapid antigen test camp in Chetla found 13 positive patients out of 50 Covid suspects tested.That day in a separate camp near Hatibagan, six persons out of 38 reportedly tested positive. Of the 60 samples collected from Mukundapur market in the first round of antigen tests last Saturday, five had tested Covid positive.
“On Sunday, the tests were conducted on sellers, auto rickshaw drivers, taxi drivers. Of the 60 persons, 5 were found positive. Of them, three persons were asymptomatic,” said Santanu Sen, Rajya Sabha MP and immediate past president of the Indian Medical association.
“We have already conducted a similar antigen test drive last week at the Dum Dum Amritabazar Market near the Dum Dum station and found four persons Covid-19 positive after testing 60 persons,” Sen said.
“The tests are basically aimed at identifying asymptomatic Covid positive patients and isolate them to prevent the spread,” said Atin Ghosh, a member of the KMC’s Board of administrators. “A week back, we conducted a similar antigen test drive in Maniktala market and found three persons Covid positive among 47 people tested during the drive,” Ghosh said.
Antigen test is a quick method to determine if a person is infected with the Sars-Cov-2. While molecular tests take a lot of time, antigen tests can deliver results within 45 minutes.