DHADING: Two youths in the district have tested negative for COVID-19 through the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) method after they tested positive for coronavirus antibodies on Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT).

Earlier, RDT carried out on the two youths from Tripurasundari Rural Municipality and Jwalamukhi Rural Municipality respectively had tested positive for antibodies, following which their throat swab samples were sent to National Public Health Laboratory in Kathmandu for test via PCR method, stated information officer at District Hospital, Dhading, Bikram Bishwakarma. He added that both their test results came out negative for the infection.

One of the youths rode on a motorbike to the district hospital and admitted himself to its isolation ward after the ambulance in his village denied to carry him, while the second person was transported by the district hospital's ambulance.

Their swab samples were taken to Kathmandu for lab test to confirm whether or not they were infected with the novel virus as RDT results cannot be taken as conclusive.

While one of the youth had come to Nepal from South Korea on March 3, the other person had returned from India on March 18. They were both in home quarantine.