TOKYO, May 12 (Xinhua) -- Japan's health ministry is set to approve on Wednesday antigen tests kits that can screen for the coronavirus and provide results faster than some other methods, local media reported Tuesday.
The antigen testing method involves taking swabs from the back of a patient's nostril and placing it onto the kit. The method is similar to that used to test for influenza.
Testing for patients who may have been infected with COVID-19 has predominantly been conducted in Japan and globally using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests which have to be carried out by medical experts.
The antigen test kits to be approved by the government do not require expert skills for the tests to be conducted and results can be confirmed in around 30 minutes, significantly faster than the PCR tests, some of which require up to six hours to produce results.
The government has acknowledged, however, that the antigen test kits may not be as accurate as the PCR tests and will first be limited to outpatient facilities in Japan that have been hardest-hit by the coronavirus pandemic, like Tokyo, Osaka and Kanagawa prefectures.
Health Minister Kato Katsunobu has said the antigen kits are supposed to be used in twine with PCR kits, with the antigen kits provisionally being able to swiftly determine whether a patient has been infected with the pneumonia-causing virus.
Those testing negative, but still displaying symptoms of the virus, will then take a PCR test, Katsunobu indicated.
The cost of the tests conducted using the antigen kits will be covered by a patient's nation health insurance.
The health ministry has also said it plans to approve a test for the virus that uses saliva rather than mucus from the nostrils as the government sets about ramping up the number of tests being conducted.
Experts on the matter explained that PCR tests require a medical expert to wear full protective clothing when swabbing the nostrils of patients as the process can cause them to cough or sneeze.
By testing saliva from the mouth, the risk of transferring the virus from patient to medical worker through coughing and sneezing could be potentially reduced, and the number of tests increased, they explained.
Currently in Japan, the number of PCR tests has remained relatively low compared to other countries due to the risks to medical workers punctuated by a lack of necessary PPE (Personal Protective Equipment), sources with knowledge of the matter have said.
The health ministry said it wants the accuracy of saliva-based tests to be on a par with PCR tests and the number of daily tests substantially increased. Enditem
