Bengaluru, Jun 3 (IANS): Biotechnology company Mylab Discovery Solutions has on Thursday commercially rolled out India's first Covid-19 self-test kit CoviSelf.
Designed as the mid-nasal swab test, CoviSelf shows results in just 15 minutes. It is priced at Rs 250.
The Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) granted approval for CoviSelf last month.
Mylab will distribute the self-test kit to 95 per cent of the PIN codes in the county. The indigenous test kit can be availed at e-commerce marketplace Flipkart and from pharmacies and drugstores across India.
The company will roll out one million self-test kits starting on Thursday and based on consumer demand, it will make 10 million units available per week. The product should be available in retail within 2-3 days. The company plans to make the products available on the Government e-marketplace (GEM).
"Self-testing should slow down the spread of Covid-19 significantly. We aim to make CoviSelf available across the length and breadth of the country, especially for the people residing in rural areas who have limited options for testing," said Hasmukh Rawal, Managing Director of Mylab Discovery Solutions, in a statement. The Pune-based company had also given India its first RT-PCR Test kit last year which is now commonly used for Covid-19 tests.
CoviSelf offers a comfortable, easy-to-use and accurate alternative to the current test method. It can be used by individuals with or without symptoms and immediate contacts of confirmed cases as per the ICMR guidelines.
Designed as the mid-nasal swab test, it can detect positive results in just 15 minutes. Each unit contains a testing kit, instructions to use (IFU) leaflet and a bag to safely dispose of after testing.