Feluda test will soon be rolled out to test Covid-19: Harsh Vardhan

Feluda test will soon be rolled out to test Covid 19, Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan said on Sunday.

"Based on tests in over 2,000 patients during the trials at the Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (IGIB) and on testing in private labs, the test showed 96% sensitivity and 98% specificity,” he said.

Developed by CSIR-IGIB, the paper strip test has been approved by the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) for a commercial launch.

The kit has already been validated by the Department of Atomic Energy’s National Centre for Biological Sciences, Bangalore. “While I cannot put an exact date on the availability, we should expect this test within the next few weeks," he added.

Named after Satyajit Ray’s famed detective, the Feluda test, priced at Rs 500 can deliver a result in 45 minutes.

The ‘Feluda’ test strip has been invented by a team led by two Bengali-origin scientists — Dr Souvik Maiti and Dr Debojyoti Chakraborty — at the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research’s Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (CSIR-IGIB) in New Delhi.

It can be used in a way similar to pregnancy test strips widely available over the counter.