TheCable

The Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR) has launched a new set of COVID-19 test kits that can produce results in 57 minutes.

The new kits which are real-time polymerase chain reaction ( RT-qPCR ) for the detection of COVID-19, was designed by Joseph Shaibu, a molecular virologist at NIMR.

Babatunde Salako, director general of the institute, unveiled the new kits during the ongoing NIMR retreat in Lagos.

He said the new products were specifically designed for PCR laboratories across the country.

“We decided to come up with this rt-qPCR testing kits that will work with the conventional PCR laboratories we have across the country,” he said.

“Unlike the SIMA test kits earlier produced by the institute which work with only isothermal machine. The Isothermal machine which can be moved around as a point of care is not readily available now for purchase so we decided to come up with this.”

Shaibu, who designed the product, said it is 80 percent cheaper than the ones currently being used in the country.

“This new RT- qPCR kit for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 is fast, accurate, sensitive and specific,” he said.

“It can run and produce result in 57 minutes and it also detect COVID-29 from two target which are ORFlab and N-gene. It has a specificity & sensitivity of 100 per cent, the lntra and inter assay precisim has CV<7 and one good thing is that it is 80 per cent cheaper than the ones currently being used in the country.

“The product has been validated against other foreign test kits such as BGI, Genefinder, ,Life River and found accurate.”