The WHO South-East Asia Regional Office (SEARO) and WHO Sri Lanka recently supplied 100 000 rapid antigen detection tests to support COVID-19 surveillance activities in Sri Lanka. An additional 100 000 will be provided in the upcoming weeks.
Rapid antigen tests are typically used outside of laboratories at the point of care. The turnaround time for these tests is short, 10-30 minutes, and therefore they are useful for the detection of infected contacts in an outbreak setting where urgent decisions need to be made. They can be used to screen for high-risk individuals who require urgent management in locations like emergency rooms. They can also be used to monitor trends in community epidemiology, especially among healthcare workers or other exposed cohorts.
In the current context, Sri Lanka plans to use this as a fast and efficient contact tracing test to manage the current cluster and for screening high-risk groups beyond the cluster. The use of rapid antigen tests is in line with WHO technical guidance and will allow the country to detect individuals with COVID-19 early and take the necessary steps to reduce transmission. A testing strategy that includes the use of rapid antigen tests to complement the current capacity for PCR testing will lead to the more efficient management of the current cluster and beyond.
WHO thanks all donors and partners who have contributed to fund the Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan to combat COVID-19. A special appreciation goes to Member States and other contributors who provided flexible funds, making it possible for WHO to deliver a coherent, strategic and broad response.
Read more about how WHO is supporting Sri Lanka COVID-19 testing strategy and efforts