Coronavirus | Dry swab RT-PCR COVID-19 test gets ICMR nod

CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) lastly acquired the permission of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) to commercially use the ‘game changing technology’ of dry swab RNA-extraction free testing methodology for the COVID-19 virus on Friday. Developed by the in home analysis staff, it can assist public well being authorities to scale up the testing at a fraction of the present price of typical RT-PCR assessments and likewise give leads to a double fast time.

The ICMR has issued an advisory allowing “the use of CSIR-CCMB dry swab method, considering its lesser cost and quick turn-around time after evaluating and finding an overall concordance of 96.9%”. The CCMB has sought the ICMR nod after discovering the trial runs profitable right here in affiliation with the TS well being authorities in July and first reported in these columns.

Coronavirus | CCMB finds cheaper, simpler RT-PCR methodology to test COVID-19 samples

In the traditional testing methodology, nasopharygeal — nostril or oropharyngeal — throat swab samples are collected by pattern assortment centres from the suspected coronavirus sufferers. These are transported to testing centres, typically even tons of of kilometres away.

The swab samples are typically positioned in a liquid known as Viral Transport Medium (VTM) and to keep away from leakage, the samples are packed closely that provides on to pattern processing instances at each the pattern assortment and testing centres. Yet, there might be leakages from samples, which render these batches untestable and unsafe in dealing with, defined CCMB Director Rakesh Mishra.

CCMB researchers have discovered that the ‘VTM’ will be completely prevented and dry swab approach additionally doesn’t require RNA extraction course of, and will be immediately used for RT-PCR testing with sensitivity and specificity just like the present gold commonplace. This can be utilized in settings the place automated RNA extraction isn’t obtainable.

“RNA extraction, even with automation, takes four hours for roughly 500 samples. VTM and RNA extraction both add a significant burden on money and time required for mass testing for coronavirus. We believe the technique’s merit holds for all kinds of settings and has the potential of bringing the costs and time of testing by 40-50%. COVID-19 screening can also be enhanced several fold with immediate effect while, at the same time, making the whole process safer,” stated the Director.

CSIR Director-General Shekhar C. Mande stated the dry-swab direct RT-PCR methodology is simple to implement with no requirement of latest kits and current manpower can carry out this with no further coaching and therefore may make a big contribution to ramping up the testing capability within the nation shortly.

The dry swab test methodology has additionally been independently corroborated by a number of premier institutes and hospitals similar to Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics (CDFD), IISER-Berhapmur, CSIR-NEERI, GMCH-Nagpur, Genepath primarily based in Pune, IGGMSH and MAFSU, Nagpur and likewise Apollo Hospitals, Hyderabad. It has been revealed in peer reviewed journal by CSIR-CCMB and by different scientific teams in a number of prestigious scientific journals the world over, a launch said.