Guwahati: ICMR has developed a two-hour test kit available for confirming Omicron. The kit was developed by ICMR’s Regional Medical Research Center in Dibrugarh, Assam.
Steps have been taken since November 24 to develop the Dibrugarh ICMR for the kit. Omicron, which has the potential to spread rapidly, is under scrutiny at airports and elsewhere. This eliminates the need to wait for hours for a test result.
Officials said samples of 1,000 covid patients had been tested through the kit, including in countries where Omicron is widely distributed. The experiment was led by ICMR -RMRC Senior Scientist Dr. Biswajyoti Borkakotti. The licensing process for the kit is in progress. The license will be available by next week, officials said. The kit is being manufactured commercially by Kolkata-based GCC Biotech. In India, Omicron cases have been reported in Delhi, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, and Chandigarh.
