With the world putting forward all measures to fight the coronavirus pandemic, genetic and microbiome testing firm Bione from Bengaluru, on Thursday, launched India’s first Rapid Covid-19 at-home screening test kit.
Experts around the world have emphasised on the need for increased testing in order to control the spread of the disease.
The easy-to-use kit, approved by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), displays accurate results within minutes. To take the test, one has to clean their finger with an alcohol swab and use the lancet provided to finger-prick. The cartridge provided reads the results from the blood sample thus obtained, within 5-10 minutes.
The testing kits are priced between Rs 2000-3000, depending on the global supply, and are available on the healthcare company’s website and can be received within 2-3 days of placing the order.
In a statement, Bione – currently equipped to supply 20,000 kits per week – said that the product has been sourced from its worldwide CE and FDA approved partners.
Talking about the feat, Surendra Chikara, CEO of the Bengaluru-based company, said, “By bringing down the result time, we are looking to make an impact and help India fight Covid-19. We strongly believe that the government’s support is pivotal in leading a revolution against coronavirus.”
However the company is advising people to undergo a laboratory test if someone shows the symptoms of coronavirus, irrespective of the results of screening kit.
