Scientists developed a new coronavirus paper-based strip test kit that can give results in an hour



The test, known as Feluda, is awaiting approval from the Indian Council of Medical Research.



It is likely to be 9 times cheaper than the RT-PCR test conducted in private labs.



ICMR

Debojyoti Chakraborty




A team of scientists from the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) along with the Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (CSIR-IGIB) developed a new coronavirus paper-based strip test kit that can give results in an hour. The test, known as Feluda, is awaiting approval from the Indian Council of Medical Research ().“We have been working on this for the last two years. This technology is not limited to COVID-19 and can work on any DNA-RNA or single mutations, disease mutations etc,” Dr, one of the scientists who led the team said.It is likely to be 9 times cheaper than the RT-PCR test conducted in private labs.“Based on our initial estimates, we think the strip might cost somewhere around Rs 500-600 but the companies will decide the cost. We are waiting for approval from ICMR and then we will move ahead with the companies we are in talks with,” Chakraborty added.Testing remains one of the key challenges India faces in its fight against coronavirus.India is already facing accuracy issues with imported test kits. ICMR on April 21 had to ask states to stop using rapid antibody testing kits for two days. It said it will test the testing kits giving advice on its use.Two states West Bengal and Rajasthan — raised concerns over defective test kits. The Rajasthan government, on April 21, ceased the use of China-made rapid testing kits after they delivered inaccurate results.The West Bengal government too alleged that COVID-19 testing kits — supplied by the National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases (NICED) and ICMR — showed inaccurate results.India received 5 lakh testing kits, including rapid antibody test kits, from two Chinese firms. However, the government has now suspended its use, albeit temporarily. India is now relying on South Korea which is expected to supply as many as 500,000 rapid testing kits.See also: Coronavirus cases in India