The 5M health protocols include wearing masks, washing hands, practising physical distancing, avoiding crowds, and cutting down mobility.
"So, 5M is one of the ways of prevention, which can be done to stop the spread or the chance of (being infected) by COVID-19 from somebody near us," Navinka stated in a statement here on Wednesday.
The World Health Organization (WHO) and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have considered PCR tests as a gold standard in the diagnosis of COVID-19 diagnosis, she noted.
However, a clinical microbiology specialist from Airlangga University, Ratna Kusumawati, said that rapid antigen tests are meant for COVID-19 screening. They are cheaper, but are not meant for diagnosis, she averred.
For antibody surveys and epidemiological research, there are tests such as rapid antibody and serology tests, she pointed out. Yet neither the WHO nor the CDC has recommended the use of rapid antibody tests for COVID-19 diagnosis, she added.
"Serology is (meant) to determine plasma convalescence donor (and also to) support certain COVID-19 diagnoses at times," Kusumawati said.
The time when each test can be taken also varies, she further said. PCR tests can be done anytime, but the longer the time lapse between getting tested and contracting an infection, the higher is the risk of a false negative, she informed.
Rapid antigen tests can also be done before symptoms show up to 1-2 weeks thereafter, she said.
Meanwhile, rapid antibody tests and serology tests can be done 8-12 days after symptoms appear or 15-20 days after infection, she informed. However, it needs to be noted that these tests are for certain intents only, she added.
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Translator: Lia Wanadriani Santosa, Mecca
Editor: Sri Haryati
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