Rajasthan MP Hanuman Beniwal has questioned the authenticity of the Covid-19 diagnostic tests after receiving two contrary reports, one saying it tested positive and the other saying it tested negative.
Beniwal, who represents the Nagaur constituency, tweeted the images of the two different test reports. The first test, conducted by the ICMR – National Institute for Cancer Research and Prevention as part of the mandatory tests before the monsoon session of Parliament, showed that he had the virus.
The second test was conducted at the Sawai Man Singh Hospital in Jaipur after he returned unable to attend Parliament. The test sample was negative for coronavirus.
मैंने लोकसभा परिसर में # COVID-19 की जांच करवाई जो पॉजिटिव आई उसके बाद जयपुर स्थित SMS मेडिकल में जांच करवाई जो नेगेटिव आई, दोनों रिपोर्ट आपके साथ साझा कर रहा हूँ, आखिर किस रिपोर्ट को सही माना जाए? pic.twitter.com/6NgU0jBdWE
– HANUMAN BENIWAL (@hanumanbeniwal) September 14, 2020
Puzzled by the different results, he tweeted: “I was checked for Covid-19 at the Lok Sabha facility, which was positive. Then I got tested at SMS medical hospital in Jaipur and the report came out negative. I am sharing the two reports with you, which report should be considered correct? “he asked his followers.
The tests were done two days apart. Both were RT-PCR tests, which are considered more reliable than antigen tests. RT-PCR tests detect viral RNA or its genetic material. They ‘amplify’ viral RNA while detecting it and because of this amplification step, RT-PCR tests for viral RNA are more sensitive than antigen tests.
Beniwal, head of the RLP, was one of at least 25 MPs who tested positive for Covid-19 during mandatory tests carried out before the Parliament session. Of these, 17 are from the Lok Sabha.
Among those infected in the Lok Sabha, the BJP has the maximum with 12 MPs, the YRS Congress has two, and the Shiv Sena and DMK have one each, apart from Beniwal of RLP. The Lok Sabha members were examined in Parliament on September 13 and 14, the sources said.
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