COVID 19 Assessment via Antibody (IgM IgG) RDT
Video Recording of the CHT COVID-19 RDT Demo
The purpose of this documentation is to outline a demo of an application for Community Health Workers or other providers administering rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) for COVID-19. In the demo, a CHW uses the app for symptom screening, test preparation, test administration, patient education, and test reading.
This prototype was built by Medic Mobile using the open-source Community Health Toolkit. We designed the workflow based on a COVID-19 antibody (IgM/IgG) RDT and public documentation on draft test procedures.
For more information on Medic Mobile and the Community Health Toolkit, please get in touch with us at [email protected] or at the CHT Forum.
Testing is one of the four components of PIH’s proposed COVID-19 response in LMICs, and we believe a digital tool to support CHW rapid diagnostic testing will enable CHWs to screen, identify, and provide care to community members impacted by COVID-19, as well as engage in contact tracing and other containment measures in early phases of the epidemic.
There are multiple types of tests available for COVID-19 and the CHT demo focuses on the use of the Antibody (lgM/lgG) rapid diagnostic test (RDT). See the list below for more specifics on the three different types of tests available for diagnostic testing for COVID-19.
- RT-PCR, short time window, takes days to run, requires lab facilities
- Antibody (lgM/lgG) rapid diagnostic test (RDT), 3-5 day time window, takes 15min to run, can be done in the community
- Antigen (Ag) rapid diagnostic test (RDT), 5-10 day time window, takes 15min to run, can be done in the community
The demo user is a CHW conducting a patient screening following a potential COVID-19 exposure. The intention of this workflow is that it is flexible enough to be adapted to multiple users, including patient assessments in the community and CHW self-assessments. Ultimately, the goal of rapid testing is to have a coherent community response that best utilizes CHWs across the different phases of the pandemic to save lives and stay safe. Please see the list below for more details on who should be tested.
- Testing for contacts of people with documented COVID-19
- Testing for inpatients and outpatients who meet the clinical case definition
- Testing outreach for large gatherings
- Testing for asymptomatic healthcare workers in high patient flow areas