Pune: The wait for a home-based rapid COVID-19 testing kit is finally over.
India’s first indigenous easy-to-use kit, that detects the coronavirus within 15 minutes, has been commercially launched. It will be available at chemist shops across the country in the next two-three days, its maker Pune-based Mylab Discovery Solutions Ltd. announced on Thursday.
Named CoviSelf, it costs Rs 250 per unit.
It can be ordered online through e-commerce platforms as well.
“Mylab Discovery Solutions… announces the commercial launch of its Covid-19 self-test kit, CoviSelf, after receiving approval from the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR). It is the first test kit for Covid-19 that can be self-administered by citizens at home, in India. This indigenous test kit will be distributed through to 95% of the PIN codes in the county and will be available over-the-counter at pharmacies and drugstores across India,” the company said in a statement.
CoviSelf, given the go-ahead by ICMR on May 19 for commercial sale, can be used like home-based pregnancy test kit.
Mylab Discovery Solutions will initially roll out 1 million self-test kits, starting Thursday. Based on demand, up to 7 million units will be made available per week.
Each unit contains a testing kit, instructions leaflet and a bag to dispose of the used contents after testing.
“Self-testing should slow down the spread of Covid-19 significantly. We aim to make CoviSelf available across the country, especially for people in rural areas who have limited options for testing,” said Mylab Discovery Solutions MD Hasmukh Rawal.
