With more than six million COVID-19 cases in India, the country is expecting to scale up coronavirus testing with its newly developed paper-based test. Named as Feluda, the paper-based test for COVID-19 is cheaper and could give faster results. It is also claimed to be more accurate than the antigen test.
With the new Feluda testing, results can be generated in less than an hour. While the PCR test is reliable, it costs more than Rs 2,000. And antigen tests generate more false negatives than PCR test although it is cheaper. The new test costs Rs 500.
According to the principal scientific advisor to the Indian government, the new test is a simple, precise, reliable, scalable and frugal test.
Researchers carried out tests on samples from about 2,000 patients and found out it had 96 % sensitivity and 98 % specificity. While the accuracy of a test is based on these two, a highly sensitive test will detect almost everyone with the disease and a high specificity test will rule out almost everyone who doesn’t have the disease.
Sample collection is similar to PCR test where a nasal swab from the nose is collected. According to international media, India’s drug regulator has cleared the test for commercial use.
India has the second-highest confirmed COVID-19 cases after the US with over 100,000 deaths. According to Johns Hopkins University, there are more than 35 million COVID-19 cases globally.
Kinley Dem
