Painless 'Lollipop' Covid Testing Method Developed By Indo-Singapore Startup
By now almost all of us have had to undergo COVID-19 testing, be it for travel purposes or to scare away a false alarm.?
The current method of testing requires nasal and oral swabs, which many people find uncomfortable.?
"Lollipop-like" testing kits
In the face of so much hesitancy about getting tested, a start up which operates from both India and Singapore has come up with a more convenient way to test people for COVID-19.?
A "lollipop-like device", the technique includes collecting saliva to be tested for COVID-19.?
Developed by Test At Home Pvt Ltd, the clinical trials for the lollipop-like tests were completed successfully, yielding an accuracy rate of 95 per cent.?
The swab works a lot like lollipop too and enables people to test themselves for COVID-19 instead of going to labs.?
Also read:?No Painful Nasal Swabs, You Just Need To Shout In New Covid-19 Test
Through the process of chewing, saliva is produced and collected by the lollipop-like device.?
The company claims its testing mechanism is safe for use by all age groups.According to Test At Home, the device is designed to produce minimal aerosols and captures the less viscous oral fluids. The material used in testing kids has also FDA's approval.?
Painless and quick!
In addition to being painless (not that regular nasal swabs cause more than a tinge of sensation), the lollipop-like swabs are easier to administer. For some people, the current swabs (known as deep nasopharyngeal swabs) cause pain, but are also considered the best way to detect COVID-19.?
Clinical trials conducted by Test At Home included 150 subjects from India.?
Also read:?China Makes Anal Swab Test For COVID-19 Mandatory For Foreign Visitors & People Are Not Happy
Out of these, 50 people had coronavirus while 100 didn't. According to the company, tests were able to detect coronavirus successfully 95 per cent of the time.
?The trials were undertaken in collaboration with Datar Cancer Genetics (UK-Germany-India) and the National University of Singapore.?
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Would you prefer a lollipop-like device to test you for COVID-19 as opposed to conventional nasal and oral swabs?Let us know in the comments and make sure you check out all that's new on Indiatimes.com.
