With a enormous enhance in Coronavirus instances through the second wave has certainly impacted testing infrastructure. Delays in Covid-19 testing led to late detection in positive instances. Following this, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has provided a nod to self-testing kits such as the one by Meril and one by Mylab. These kits are aimed at early detection of Coronavirus infection amongst men and women who are symptomatic. The kits can be quickly made use of by men and women at home.
On Thursday, ICMR gave approvals to Medtech corporation Meril that rolled out its self-use Rapid Antigen Test for Covid-19. Called CoviFind, the test has been indigenously created and researched to detect the presence SARS-CoV-2 virus in men and women who have been infected. The thought is to enable detection early, so that instant measures can be taken and other men and women in speak to can also be informed. According to a report by The IE, the test benefits are delivered swiftly in 15 minutes. Priced at Rs 250, the test does not have any precise requirement for storage or refrigeration.
The test kit has a testing device, one sterile nasal swab as properly as a pre-filled buffer tube with a cap. There is no have to have for an extra instrument. The kit will also have guidelines for men and women to use exactly where step-by-step process on administration is detailed and there is also details on how to deal with the post-use disposal of the test.
Similarly, last month, ICMR had authorized self-testing kits by Mylab. The testing kit by Mylab also has equivalent instruments to detect the presence of the virus.
Will ICMR self-testing kits relieve burden on testing labs?
The introduction of self-testing kits is anticipated to decrease the burden of testing labs to some extent but it is not going to be substantial, mentioned Sameer Bhati – Director at Star Imaging and Path Labs. According to Bhati, the antigen tests performed are reduced than RT-PCR. “We need to understand that these self-testing kits cannot substitute and be an alternative to the gold standard RT-PCR test because of the reason that these antigen kits have some limitations attached to it,” Bhati told FE Online.
He added that in instances exactly where men and women are tested damaging and are symptomatic, repeat testing will anyway have to be performed by means of RT-PCR. “I believe that only during peak time, these self-testing kits may reduce the burden and that too in the cases when people are not willing to step out or cannot step out of their home for testing,” mentioned Bhati.
Is it secure to use these self-testing kits?
The kit has passed all the high quality tests and is authorized by ICMR, but it is secure as lengthy as it is made use of in accordance with the directions provided in the manual and if the ICMR suggestions are followed. According to Bhati, in lab collections, the sample collection boys have been periodically provided unique education by the microbiologists on the procedures of sample collection. Therefore, challenges in terms of collection strategy can arise when men and women are carrying out it themselves. “Apart from tracking and tracing, another challenge from a safety point of view would be the bio medical waste management. In our lab we strictly follow bio medical waste management rules. The government needs to make some guidelines on this and monitor its implementation for self-testing kits, otherwise it may pose a challenge in containment of the diseases,” Bhati added.