Health Minister Zahid Malek said on Monday that the decision to start the test was "limited".
Since the outbreak of the new coronavirus in the country last March, only reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) has been used.
So far, RT-PCR testing is considered to be the most reliable method of detecting coronavirus infection in the world.
However, after collecting samples in this method, it takes about a day to get the results. Many countries around the world are leaning towards the rapid antigen test as the results are known within half an hour.
Experts have been advising to start antibody and antigen tests in Bangladesh as well as to introduce antigen tests earlier.
RT-PCR vs. antigen
The RT-PCR method collects mucus from behind the patient's nostrils and is used as a sample. However, as an alternative, samples are sometimes taken from behind the mouthpiece.
Experts say the RNA of the virus is first chemically processed in the laboratory from the collected samples. The RT-PCR machine converts the isolated RNA into DNA in a reverse transcription process. It then multiplies the particular part of the DNA with the help of polymers chain reaction, raising its level to a level that the machine can detect.
This reaction occurs if the sample collected from the patient contains coronavirus and a ‘positive’ signal is obtained. That is, a sample of which he has been infected with coronavirus.
In contrast, antigen tests also use nasal or oral mucosa, but instead of RNA analysis, virus proteins are identified. Again, the presence of antigen can be detected by blood test.
However, the concerned organizations of different countries including the World Health Organization have always been in favor of RT-PCR due to its accuracy.
This is because the RT-PCR test amplifies the biochemical component of the virus so that the amount of virus in the collected sample is negligible.
On the other hand, since there is no mechanism to amplify the protein of the virus in antigen testing, if the amount of virus in the sample is less then it is no longer detected.
As a result, even if the patient is infected, it may come out 'negative' in the antigen test, which is called 'false negative'. Then if there are symptoms again, RT-PCR test has to be done.
There are also antibody tests to determine if the person's immune system is infected. However, even if he recovers, he will show positive in the antibody test.
However, RT-PCR and antigen tests can confirm whether a person is infected with coronavirus during the test.
Coronavirus detected in antigen test?
India has recently started antigen test to identify Covid-19. This step is because the price of the kit is relatively cheap and takes less time.
According to a BBC report, the results of the antigen test are known within 15 to 20 minutes, but the reliability of the results is less than 50 percent.
The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has approved antigen test kits made in South Korea, India and Belgium.
ICMR and the All Indian Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) have tested one of these three types of test kits in their own labs.
"The antigen test will fail to identify half of the infected patients," K Srinath Reddy, a professor at the Public Health Foundation of India, told the BBC.
Antigen tests may fail to identify victims for a number of reasons. These include not collecting samples properly, not having an excess of virus in the infected person's body, or not having a good kit quality.
There is also a type of rapid test in the UK, but the level of error is much lower. However, in this method they are analyzing the RNA of the virus without testing the antigen.
The United States, the country most affected by the coronavirus, approved antigen tests last May.
However, FDA policy emphasizes the quality of the kits used in antigen testing.
The FDA, like the World Health Organization, recommends that if someone has a "negative" antigen test, be sure to have an RT-PCR test.