INDIAN CORONAVIRUS RAPID TESTING KIT FOR LESS THAN RS. 500! WHEN IS IT GETTING LAUNCHED? DETAILS

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on Wednesday approved the first Indian coronavirus rapid antigen test kit by Mylab Discovery Solutions. This is the second antigen kit that is getting approval from ICMR and the first Indian one to get approval. 

Pathocatch, the COVID-19 Antigen Rapid testing kit developed has been developed and manufactured in India. It is going to be immediately available for orders and is likely to be priced at Rs 450. 

“Mylab team is working really hard to fight this pandemic in every possible way. After bringing an affordable RT-PCR test to reduce dependence on foreign kits, we launched Compact XL to accelerate Covid-19 testing. Now, with the approval for an antigen testing kit, we will cover whole spectrum of Covid-19 testing and leave no stone unturned to fight this pandemic,” said Hasmukh Rawal, managing director, Mylab Discovery Solutions.

Mylab’s real time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) test kit was the first Indian test kit that received approval from ICMR. 

Antigen- based testing is usually used along with rRT-PCR to ramp up the testing process leading to early detection and treatment.  Rapid antigen test is faster than the rRt-PCR since it takes only 30 minutes. It does not require a sophisticated laboratory setup unlike the latter. 

“That is the only way to break the transmission scale, by identifying those who are infected and isolating them so that they don’t spread the disease further,” Jacob John, former head, virology department, Christian Medical College, Vellore told Hindustan Times. 

Earlier, the ICMR had approved antigen test kits by SD Biosensor, a south Korean company, which has a branch Haryana.