When testing for COVID-19 with antigen test kits, patients with loss of smell were found hundreds per day and therefore these patients will not be placed in hospitals but put under respective township’s centers, according to Dr. Thida Hla, Director-General of Department of Health.

“Among the confirmed cases, 56 percent showed symptoms of loss of smell. As a result, numbers of suspected patients are on the rise. We are now using an antigen test kit which can produce results in a few minutes. Nine hospitals namely Yangon General Hospital, North Okkalapa hospital, Yangon New Hospital, Thingangyun hospital, Insein hospital, Yangon West District hospital, Hlaing Tharyar hospital and Thanlyin hospital are using Antigen test kits. By using the Antigen test kit, we can solve problems such as reducing the crowded hospitals, reducing spreading virus to others, and we can also give timely treatment to those who are positive,” said Dr. Thida Hla.

After testing with Antigen test kit and found out that the person is positive and he has only symptom that is loss of smell, will be sent to centers for treating loss of smell patients in respective township, instead of sending him to Waibargi, South Okkalapa or Phaunggyi centers, she added.