A healthcare professional collects swab samples to test Covid-19. (File/Express Photo: Amit Mehra) In the wake of the fall in costs of reagents used for Covid-19 testing, the Karnataka government Wednesday notified a cut in prices collected by laboratories across the state to test samples.
According to an order issued by Jawaid Akhtar, Additional Chief Secretary (Health & Family Welfare), the revised rates have been decided based on the recommendations made by the State Covid-19 task force.
As per the revised price list, each Covid-19 sample sent by the government to private labs will now be tested for Rs 500, down from the existing cost of Rs 1200. Meanwhile, the ceiling rate for private samples in private laboratories is now being capped at Rs 800 as opposed to the cost of Rs 1600.
These are the revised costs for each sample tested using the following methods: TrueNat – Rs 1250; CBNAAT – Rs 2400; Rapid Antigen Testing – Rs 400; IgG ELISA test for antibodies -Rs 500.
Akhtar clarified that all rates are inclusive of PPE kits, screening and confirmatory tests.
To date, Karnataka has tested over 1.18 crore samples of which 34.69 lakh were Rapid Antigen Detection tests. Over 8.95 lakh people have contracted the infection so far of which 11,880 have died. As on Wednesday, 25,015 active cases have been noted by the Department of Health and Family Welfare Services across 30 districts of the state. More than 8.58 lakh people have recovered from the infection since the first case was recorded on March 8.
