Govt expedites validation of COVID-19 testing kits

The government has fast tracked validation of new tasting kits for the deadly coronavirus, for commercial use.

New Delhi, March 23 The government has fast tracked validation of new tasting kits for the deadly coronavirus, for commercial use.

"ICMP NIV Pune has completed evaluation of 9 non-US FDA EUA/CE IVD kits. Only test kits with 100 per cent concordance Mong true positive and true negative samples have been recommended for commercial us in India," read a press tease by ICMR.

ICMR Director General, Dr Balram Bhargava is banking big on such indigenous testing kits.

"A fast track mechanism has been set up for their validation at NIV, so that tests can be done quickly and we can confirm infections among people. And, it not mandatory that they be approved by US-based Food and Drug Administration (FDA), a validation from ICMR-NIV is adequate to give them a go-ahead," Bhargava told media, on Monday.

Meanwhile, a total of 20, 707 sample from 19,817individuals have been tested for COVID-19A as on March 23, 8 p.m. A total of 47 individuals have been confirmed positive among suspected cases and contacts of known positive cases, said ICMR.

The National Task Force for Covid-19 constituted by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) earlier, on Monday recommended the use of anti-malaria drug hydroxy-chloroquine to treat the COVID-19 disease in high-risk cases albeit with utmost precaution.

( With inputs from IANS )