India approves first nationally made Covid-19 test
Coronavirus chronicle
The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has approved the country's first nationally manufactured rapid coronavirus test kit.
Delhi-based Oscar Medicare said it has developed a point-of-care rapid test kit with a sensitivity of 97.66 percent, higher than ICMR's requirement of 93 percent sensitivity, and a specificity of 99 percent against ICMR's requirement of 95 percent specificity, according to Oscar CEO Anand Sekhri, reports the CNN.
"Oscar Corona Antibody Rapid Tests doesn't require the use of PPE Kits or highly-trained healthcare staff, as it is very similar to a Diabetes check up 'Glucometer' being used by patients across India," Sekhri said.
The test has been approved by the ICMR for lab and hospital use and detects coronavirus antibodies through a simple prick test. It provides results in 15 minutes, according to Sekhri.
The kits are to be launched in the first week of September. Oscar Medicare also hopes to get approval to sell the kits at pharmacies so that they can be used by people at home.
India has over 3.2 million cases of coronavirus according to the Ministry of Health, and has conducted over 37 million tests as of Wednesday according to ICMR.
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