Private hospitals, labs charging exorbitant rates for COVID-19 test

KARACHI: Amid the rising number of coronavirus cases, private hospitals and labs across Karachi are charging exorbitant rates for the novel coronavirus test.

According to details, private laboratories including Hashmani Laboratories and Chughtai Laboratories are charging about Rs 8,000 for the coronavirus test and Rs 2,500 additional for collecting samples at home.

Some laboratories are charging Rs 3,000 to Rs 5,000 for the anti-bodies tests. On the other side, Aga Khan Hospital is charging Rs 1,700 for antibody tests.

Sources have informed that Sindh Health Department officials have allegedly received bribes by the private laboratories in this regard.

UK researchers have found that not everyone who has had coronavirus tests positive for antibodies. The majority of people have antibodies in their blood for up to two months after diagnosis of COVID-19.

However, between 2 and 8.5 percent of the 177 patients in the study – all of whom had tested positive for the infection – did not in turn test positive for COVID-19 antibodies.