Gyeongbuk Yeongdeok-gun Public Health Center Launches Rapid Antigen Testing for Omicron Response

PCR Test Conducted Only When High-Risk Patients Test Positive on Rapid Antigen Test

Rapid Antigen Self-Test Kit.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Gwiyeol] Yeongdeok-gun, Gyeongbuk, has switched its COVID-19 testing system since the 29th to respond effectively as the Omicron variant of the coronavirus spreads rapidly.

If you belong to a high-risk group, you will undergo a PCR test at a screening clinic as before, but if you do not belong to a high-risk group, you will be tested with a 'self-test kit' at a rapid antigen testing site.

Rapid antigen testing involves placing a specimen collected from the nasal cavity onto a kit to check for infection. Since results can be confirmed in 15 to 20 minutes, it allows for quicker response compared to PCR tests, which take 6 to 24 hours, making it suitable for early detection screening of COVID-19.

Those classified as high-risk include people who have been requested by the public health center to take a PCR test due to close contact, patients who have received a doctor's note indicating the need for a COVID-19 test during treatment, individuals aged 60 or older who test positive on a self-test kit, and those subject to preemptive testing in infection-vulnerable facilities.

If a rapid antigen test is conducted for the purpose of a quarantine pass rather than personal preference and the result is negative, a negative confirmation certificate is issued; if positive, a PCR test is conducted as before.

If a high-risk individual or someone who tests positive on a rapid antigen test undergoes a PCR test, priority individuals must bring proof verifying their status when visiting the screening clinic.

Yeongdeok-gun expects that the introduction of rapid antigen testing according to the situation will strengthen PCR testing capacity for high-risk groups, prevent severe illness, and effectively respond to the surge in testing demand caused by the spread of Omicron by linking early diagnosis and prompt treatment.

Kim Jaehee, head of the Yeongdeok-gun Public Health Center, said, “We will do our best to enable residents to focus on their daily lives and livelihoods through proactive and thorough responses to the COVID-19 variants.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.