Oman revises costs of COVID-19 tests in private hospitals
Oman’s Ministry of Health has revised the costs of COVID-19 tests in private hospitals.
It has also waived additional charges on each sample, local media reported. Earlier tests used to cost from RO 14 to 45 (Dhs 134 to 429) .
According to reports there are three kinds of tests being conducted in Oman:
1) Real-Time (RT) -PCR tests that cost RO35 (Dhs 334) which is a nasal swab that detect the virus. The time taken to get the result is 120 minutes and the report is issued within two to three days.
2) The Point-of-Care-PCR automated test, which also uses nasal swab, and costs RO 50 (Dhs 477). It takes 45 minutes and the report is issued in one day.
3) The serological test looks for past infections using a blood sample and needs one hour to get the result. The report is issued within two hours for RO15 (Dhs 145).
The decision assumes significance as countries that opened up for travel often insist on PCR tests to avoid mandatory institutional isolation.
The test must come back with a negative result no more than 72 hours before entering the country, according to the Egyptian government.
