Written By: Longjam Dineshwori | Updated : June 4, 2021 12:25 PM IST
Image credits by: The self-use Covid testing kits can show results in just 15 minutes.
To meet the high demand for Covid testing in the wake of the surge in positive cases, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has approved two home-based Rapid Antigen Test kits. These are CoviSelf, manufactured by Mylab Discovery Solutions Ltd, Pune, and the PanBio COVID-19 Antigen Rapid Test Device, developed by Chicago-based Abbott Rapid Diagnostics.
These COVID testing kits are to be used only in symptomatic individuals and immediate contacts of laboratory confirmed positive cases, and as per the procedure described by the manufacturer in the user manual, said the ICMR and advised to avoid indiscriminate testing.
Home-based RAT testing would allow early detection, isolation and home care. The ICMR advises all positive individuals to follow home isolation and care as per the ICMR and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoH&FW) protocols.
If symptomatic individuals test negative by RAT, they should get themselves tested by RTPCR, as the Rapid Antigen Testing kits are likely to miss few positive cases presenting with a low viral load. They may be treated as suspected COVID-19 patients and should follow the ICMR/MoH&FW home isolation protocol while awaiting the RTPCR test result, the country's apex health research body said.
It also advises users to strictly follow the manufacturer's instructions for disposal of the test kit, swab and other materials. Keep reading to know more about CoviSelf and PanBio COVID testing kits.
Mylab Discovery solutions launched the country's first home-based Covid-19 testing kit, CoviSelf, on Thursday. It is now available at chemist shops across India and even on online shopping platforms like Flipkart. According to the company, CoviSelf is designed as the mid-nasal swab test, and can show results in just 15 minutes. It is priced at 250 per kit.
"Self-testing should slow down the spread of Covid-19 significantly. We aim to make CoviSelf available across the length and breadth of the country, especially for the people residing in rural areas who have limited options for testing," said Hasmukh Rawal, Managing Director of Mylab Discovery Solutions, in a statement.
Mention may be made that Mylab had developed the first indigenous RT-PCR test kit last year.
Designed by Abbott Rapid Diagnostics, PanBio is an in vitro diagnostic rapid test for the qualitative detection of SARS-CoV-2 antigen (Ag) in human nasal swab specimens. It delivers results in as early as 15 minutes. Panbio COVID-19 Ag is CE-Marked for use with a nasal swab on asymptomatic and symptomatic people. According to Abbott, the test has also been added to the World Health Organization's Emergency Use Listing (WHO EUL).
PanBio COVID-19 Antigen Test Device has been given provisional approval till 5th of July. The price of the kit in India is not declared yet.
Dr Balram Bhargava, Director general of the ICMR, announced on Thursday that they are planning to scale up the country's daily Covid-19 testing capacity to 4.5 million per day by June-end, from the existing two million tests per day.
"On May 18 and 19, we conducted more than two million tests in a day, which is the highest in the world. Our target is to do 25 lakh tests by the end of this month, and 45 lakh by end of June," Dr Bhargava said during a media briefing.
According to him, India currently conducts 1.2-1.3 million tests per day using RT-PCR, and about 1.7 million rapid antigen tests.
Testing is one of the pillars that will help contain this massive upsurge of cases, he added.
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