GUWAHATI: All the 91 samples from Spanish Garden in Guwahati have been found negative in the rapid antibody tests conducted on Thursday. The first rapid antibody testing in Assam was conducted at Spanish Garden apartment on Thursday. Spanish Garden was declared as a COVID-19 containment zone after Manish Tibrewal, a resident of the apartments tested COVID-19 positive on April 3. Tibrewal was discharged from Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) on April 19 after he completely recovered from the disease.
On the other hand, all the 91 samples have been sent to the COVID-19 laboratories of medical colleges for the confirmation. Assam health minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma announced that rapid antibody testing would be conducted at Athgaon Kabristan Masjid within a day or two, another containment zone in Guwahati. A religious congregation of around 100 people including some Nizamuddin Markaz returnees took place at Athgaon Kabristan Masjid on March 12. Later some of the attendees of the religious congregation at Athgaon Masjid tested COVID-19 positive. Following that the mosque was declared as a containment zone.
Assam started the rapid antibody testing from Thursday after getting the nod from Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR). Rapid testing of COVID-19 was conducted at Spanish Garden apartment in the presence of Assam health and finance Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma.
Talking to media persons Dr. Sarma said, “If no positive case is found, Spanish Garden will be taken out of the containment zone restrictions.”
Sarma also asserted that though rapid antibody testing is non-confirmatory, it can play an important role in mass surveillance.
So far, Assam has reported 35 COVID-19 cases. One new case was detected on Thursday. The 35th patient of the state has been identified as Matiur Rahman, a 62-year old man from Bilasipara in western Assam’s Dhubri district. Matiur reportedly came into contact with another COVID-19 patient Jamaluddin Hazi.
So far, 19 patients have been discharged from different hospitals in the state. On the other hand, one COVID-19 patient from Hailakandi district died on April 10 at Silchar Medical College and Hospital (SMCH). As of now there are 15 active cases in the state.
