Bione, a Bangalore based genetic and microbiome testing organisation in India has announced the launch of a COVID-19 at-home screening test kit, making it the first company in the country to do so. The company said the kit delivers accurate results in minutes and complies with all existing regulatory norms, making it perfectly safe and reliable for use to provide some mental peace and provide instant relief from going into depression during corona.
The kit which uses an invasive procedure using a blood sample of the user is also easy to use and can be operated by just about anyone. All that you have to do is to clean the finger top with an alcohol swab followed by making a small prick using the lancelet provided for the same. The blood sample thus obtained is then required to be applied on a cartridge for the device to deliver the results, which again is done within ten mins. at the most.
The company further stated the test kit is an IgG & IgM based tool and uses products sourced from CE and FDA approved partners around the world. While it has already received certification from the Indian Council for Medical Research, the premier body that oversees biomedical research in the country, the process for getting approval for more USFDA partners is currently underway.
The price has also been kept a quite convenient INR 2000-3000, depending on the global supply chain. The company also said they have the capacity to deliver 20,000 of the kits every week while efforts are also underway to ramp up facilities to increase capacity sufficiently in the coming months. The company is expecting huge demand from countries such as the United States, Italy, Spain, France among others that have had the biggest impact from the coronavirus outbreak.
Those eager for the test kit can place their order on the company home page and with the device delivered within three days. The home kit also makes sense as apart from delivering accurate results quickly, it also is safe as the test is performed at the patients’ end and hence negates the need to travel to the testing centres, which again are potential hot spots for getting infected.
Also, with the test kit at home, you will be able to regularly screen your entire family. This will allow for timely detection of the disease, allowing for ample time for you to take medical advice while also keeping others in your vicinity safe and secure.
As for the company itself, Bione prides itself as India’s first and only genetic and microbiome testing organisation. The company operates out of Bangalore has been founded in 2019 by Dr Surendra K Chikara, himself a world-renowned geneticist.
