Covid-19: Kerala medical institute develops RT-PCR kit with higher accuracy

New Delhi - ICMR validation shows the kit has 97.3 per cent sensitivity and 100 per cent specificity in the Covid-19 detection

The Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST) in Kerala, an institute under the Department of Science and Technology has developed a multiplex RT-PCR kit, where the validation shows the kit has 97.3 per cent sensitivity and 100 per cent specificity in the Covid-19 detection.

This means it is unlikely to show any false positives and has only a 2.7 per cent chance of showing a false negative.

The Indian Council of Medical Research has validated the kit at the National Institute of Virology in Pune, and found it satisfactory.

"The kit developed by the SCTIMST targets two SARS CoV2 genes: RdRp and ORFb-nsp14, and the human RNAse P gene as the internal control. The kit is based on multiplex Taqman chemistry, amplifying all three genes in a single reaction. The amplification time for the assay is 45 minutes, besides the time required for the RNA isolation from nasopharyngeal swab samples," the statement said.

The SCTIMST signed a non-exclusive licence MoU with Huwel Lifesciences in Hyderabad on May 14 this year to commercialise the kit.

• India