Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati, in association with RR Animal Healthcare Ltd and Guwahati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), has developed low-cost diagnostic kits. These are Viral Transport Media (VTM) kits, RT-PCR kits, and RNA isolation kits.
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Key-Points
The VTM kits are the first-stop source used to collect nasal and oral swab specimens from an individual source to a laboratory safely for culture and testing.
The kit consists of a comprehensive solution specially formulated for the collection and transport of SARS-CoV-2.
To bring down the cost of kits, IIT has used materials that are available in the local market and they are as per the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommendation.
These kits comprise two transport media, one for nasopharyngeal and the other for oropharyngeal specimen collection swabs.
The complete package is suitable for the collection, transport, maintenance, and long-term freezer storage of viral specimens.
The unique formulation of the transport medium helps in preserving the viability of viruses for up to 72 hours (at refrigerated temperatures).
The swabs have been designed ergonomically with a pre-molded breakpoint on their shaft for enabling secure sampling.
