India develops coronavirus testing kit at Rs 1200, MyLab to supply it

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India develops coronavirus testing kit at Rs 1200, MyLab to supply it (Image: ANI Twitter)
India develops coronavirus testing kit at Rs 1200, MyLab to supply it (Image: ANI Twitter)

Pune : Amid criticism that India has a slow testing rate for coronavirus, the news comes as a relief that India has developed it first coronavirus testing kit at one fourth cost of what it is importing currently.

India's first coronavirus testing kit reached Indian markets on Thursday to increase frequency to test patients with flu symptoms to confirm or rule out the Covid-19 infection.

The testing kit has been developed at MyLab Discovery in Pune and can produce the results in about two hours.

"Our kit gives the diagnosis in two and a half hours while the imported testing kits take six-seven hours," BBC quoted virologist Minal Dakhave Bhosale, Mylab's research and development chief.

The first batch of 150 testing kits was shipped to diagnostic labs in Pune, Mumbai, Delhi, Goa and Bengaluru (Bangalore) this week.

"Our manufacturing unit... is working through the weekend and the next batch will be sent out on Monday," Dr Gautam Wankhede, Mylab's director for medical affairs, told the BBC on Friday.

The company has claimed that they can supply up to 100,000 Covid-19 testing kits a week and can produce up to 200,000 if needed. Each Mylab kit can test 100 samples and costs 1,200 rupees ($16; £13) - that's about a quarter of the 4,500 rupees that India pays to import Covid-19 testing kits from abroad.