courtesy-theprint
Today, Pune-based Mylab Discovery Solutions Ltd. announced the commercial launch of India’s first indigenous home-based Covid-19 rapid testing kit which is capable of detecting the virus in just 15 minutes. Carrying the name ‘CoviSelf’ the kit costs around ₹250/- per unit.
The company has mentioned of producing 7 million units of self-testing kits per week as on consumer demand along with the product expected to be available in retail stores within two-three days. The company wishes to provide the availability of the product on the government e-marketplace (GEM). The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) guidelines mentioned the usage of the kit can be done by individuals with or without symptoms.
The self-testing kit is designed as mid-nasal swab test which provides result in around 15 minutes. The unit consists of a testing kit, instruction leaflet and in order to safely dispose of the used kits after testing, the unit is equipped with a bag for the same.
As said in a statement by the company, the indigenous test kit will be distributed through to 95% of the PIN codes in the county and will be available over-the-counter at pharmacies and drugstores across India. The test kits can also be ordered online through some of the e-commerce platforms by individuals.
Hasmukh Rawal, the Managing Director of Mylab Discovery Solutions said, “self-testing should slow down the spread of Covid-19 significantly. We aim to make CoviSelf available across the country, especially for people in rural areas who have limited options for testing.”
As mentioned by ICMR, the testing kit can be administered like the home-based pregnancy test kits.