COVID cases in India are at the peak. Hence, precautionary measures need to be taken to stay safe. Firstly, if you have any symptoms like sore throat, fever, body ache, or diarrhea, try and get a test done. In a state of chaos, it is important for the test-takers to understand which test to take. The RT-PCR test is considered to be the "gold standard" whereas the Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) is a cheaper and a quicker way to get tested. However, it is a known fact that RAT has a lower level of accuracy and can give a high number of false negatives. According to the ICMR protocol, if RAT gives a negative result and an individual has symptoms of influenza-like illness, then they should undergo an RT-PCR test. While it might get difficult to get an RT-PCR test done promptly, a rapid test can be undertaken at any of the government hospitals for free without any prior

Author-Raveena