Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Hyderabad has claimed to have developed a low-cost COVID-19 test kit that can deliver results within 20 minutes. Researchers explained that the test kit is different from the Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) method, currently being used for COVID-19 testing. The development cost of the test kit is Rs 550 which can further reduce to Rs 350 when taken to mass production, researchers added.
The research team conducted clinical trials of the test kit at ESIC Medical College and Hospital in Hyderabad. A patent has been filed for the test kit and sought approval from the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR). IIT-Delhi was the first academic institution to obtain the ICMR approval for a real-time PCR-based diagnostic assay now followed by IIT-Hyderabad with a testing kit for COVID-19.
“We have developed a low-cost COVID-19 testing kit which can deliver the results in 20 minutes for both symptomatic and asymptomatic patients. The uniqueness of this test kit is that it does not rely on the Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR). The kit is quite portable and tests can be done at the point of care,” said Shiv Govind Singh, professor at IIT-Hyderabad’s Electrical Engineering department. The institute has claimed that the test kits provide an error-free result which reduces the testing cost without compromising on accuracy.
