INDICoV-Om

INDICoV-Om kit is the first kit developed by any government institution for the omicron variant.
It will make India self-reliant in RT-PCR diagnostics.
It will help in detecting omicron variants quickly and cost-effective manner, over genome sequencing for a large population.

Interesting Facts about INDICoV-Om RT-PCR Kit

The kit has been made within two months.
It is one of the very few specific kits for detecting Omicron in the entire world.
It will provide the test results in two hours. It may cost around Rs 150 – Rs 200.
It can also be aligned to detect other emerging variants of Covid infection and respiratory infections.

The kit has been referred to the ICMR-National Institute of Virology (NIV) for validation.
Once approved by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), The kit will be launched by mid-February.

Most RT-PCR-based diagnostic kits do not confirm the covid variant causing the infection.
Currently, the detection of omicron variants depends on tests like the S-gene dropout or by NGS (Nextgen sequencing) of the whole viral genome.
The S-gene drop-out method is not specific and does not pinpoint the type of variant.
Also, The NGS method has certain limitations such as expense, turnaround, and the number of centres that can provide such service.
The Om diagnostic kit will be used to specifically detect the omicron variant.
Its detection will help in the proper diagnosis and treatment of the patient.

The CSIR – CDIR’s scientists have developed an indigenous RT-PCR kit called ‘Om’ for testing the omicron variant.