ICMR Approves Dry Swab COVID-19 Testing Method

New Delhi: The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has approved a new COVID-19 testing method which has been formulated by Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) in Hyderabad.

The new method entails an RNA extraction-free process using dry swab. “We believe the technique’s merit holds for all kinds of settings and has potential of bringing down the costs and time of testing by 40-50%,” CCMB Director Rakesh Mishra said.

The Dry Swab-Direct RT-PCR method involves collecting and transporting the nasal swab in a dry state.

In the normal testing method, nasopharyngeal or oropharyngeal swab samples are taken to testing centres, sometimes several km away, and put in a liquid called Viral Transport Medium (VTM). These are packed to prevent leakages, but cannot be totally eliminated.

In dry swab technique, VTM can be avoided and does not require RNA extraction.