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Mylab Discovery Solutions, the firm that produced the country’s first RT-PCR kits last year, today announced ICMR’s approval for a DIY rapid antigen test kit for Covid-19 called CoviSelf that provides results in about 15 minutes.
According to ICMR guidelines, the India-made CoviSelf can be used by symptomatic individuals and immediate contacts of confirmed cases. It eliminates the need for sample collection by healthcare professionals. Mylab claims individuals can test themselves for Covid-19, isolate and seek treatment quickly in case of positivity. “This will ease pressure on overburdened testing labs and reduce the time taken for results, which can be as long as 72 hours in some parts of the country. With CoviSelf, Mylab aims to make testing reach the doorstep of every Indian to help them fight the second and any subsequent waves of the pandemic” a Mylab statement said.
Priced at ₹250 a test, the company will start shipping the kits out in a few days. Mylab’s current production capacity is 70 lakh kits a week, which it plans to increase it to 1 crore kits in a fortnight.
No need for prescriptions
Mylab’s statement added the test kit could be purchased from pharmacies or online without a prescription. Hasmukh Rawal, Managing Director, Mylab Discovery Solutions said, “The power of testing early will save thousands of lives. We will make millions of kits available for a fraction of what similar tests cost in countries such as the US.”
The kits come with an instruction leaflet and a bio-hazard bag to safely dispose off after testing. The test involves a nasal swab (not the deep nasopharyngeal swab) to reduce the discomfort.
ICMR Advisory
With the approval of CoviSelf, the ICMR has issued an advisory for Covid-19 home testing. “Home testing by rapid antigen tests (RAT) is advised only in symptomatic individuals and immediate contacts of laboratory confirmed positive cases. Indiscriminate testing is not advised. Home testing should be conducted as per the procedure described by the manufacturer in the user manual,” the ICMR stated.
It added that the home testing mobile app is available in Google play store and Apple store and must be downloaded by all users. “The mobile app has a comprehensive guide of the testing procedure. Users are advised to click a picture of the test strip after completing the test procedure with the same mobile phone which has been used for downloading the mobile app and user registration” ICMR said. ICMR said those who test positive may be considered true positives with no repeat testing required.
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