Hyderabad-based company launches kit that detects Omicron in half the time than standard RT-PCR.

A Hyderabad-based USA headquartered company BioGenex Life Sciences Pvt Ltd has developed an RT-PCR kit which claims to detect SARS-CoV-2 and its many variants including Omicron. The kit named Triplex Covid-19 RT-PCR Direct is said to detect Omicron without RNA extraction in half the time than standard RT-PCR.

The product was launched across the nation in Hyderabad on Friday. The kit costs Rs 150 including taxes.

According to Krishan Kalra, CEO BioGenex Life Science, the National Institute of Biologicals (NIB) in Noida, an Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) designated lab,



examined the performance of this kit and found that it performed with 100 per cent accuracy and 100 per cent sensitivity which means no false negatives or positives, which will significantly control the pandemic through accurate diagnosis

The massive surge in daily Covid-19 positive cases driven by the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 in Telangana has continued with health authorities on Friday reporting 2295 positive cases out of which 1452 positive infections were from areas under GHMC. Health officials have also reported three fatalities on Friday, which has taken the overall number of deaths in TS to 4,039.