Rapid antigen test results will be included in the national statistics on Covid-19 cases

By order of Bulgaria’s Minister of Health dated December 22, rapid antigen tests are added as a laboratory criterion in the definition of COVID-19 case, which creates an additional opportunity for laboratory diagnosis of the disease in the country.

Individuals with a positive antigen test result will be reported as confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the Unified Information Portal and will be subject to 14-day isolation, and their close contact persons - to 10-day quarantine. The same order applies in the cases confirmed by PCR tests.

Rapid antigen tests will be conducted by medical institutions (independent medical-diagnostic laboratories, medical and diagnostic-consulting centres, medical institutions for hospital care, emergency medical care centres, oncological centres) and Regional Health Inspectorates.

Rapid antigen test should be conducted according to the criteria specified in the Order, which include:

- in sick persons - within 5 days from the beginning of the clinical symptoms,;

- in contact persons - within 7 days of the last contact with a person infected with coronavirus.

In individuals with clinical symptoms meeting the COVID-19 criteria and having had a negative rapid antigen test result, a PCR test should be carried out , if a new rapid antigen test cannot be carried out, after 2-4 days.

The rapid antigen tests conducted so far will not be included retrospectively in the official data on the confirmed cases in the country.