Omicron subvariant BA.2 is now detectable with OmiSure Covid test kits

Tata Medical and Diagnostics announced today that its OmiSure Covid-19 (RT-PCR) test has been improved to detect the Omicron (or BA.1) version of the Covid-19 virus, which has swiftly become the dominant variant.
The improved OmiSure effectively detected BA.1, BA.1.1, and BA.2 sub-lineages of Omicron in an evaluation conducted by ICMR and the Virus Research & Diagnostics Laboratory, Kasturba Hospital for Infectious Diseases, Mumbai, according to the business.

With this, the OmiSure kit is now capable of detecting all the sub-lineages of Omicron prolific in the country at present, the company said.

“We are glad to announce that OmiSure detects all omicron sub-lineages, including newer BA.1, BA.2 accurately and confirmed by ICMR. It is a testament to our strength that we upgraded the OmiSure within a week and OmiSure is the most economical variant testing platform to address the market needs,” TATA Medical and Diagnostics  CEO and Managing Director Girish Krishnamurthy noted.

OmiSure RT-PCR test decreases the load on sequencing; allows healthcare authorities to assess the evolution of variants and take timely action to control spread.

Additionally, samples negative for Omicron on the OmiSure test can be prioritised for sequencing as the chances of detecting other variants and newer mutations are higher in these samples, it added.

Meanwhile, experts have said that RT-PCR still remains to be the ‘gold standard’ of COVID-19 testing.

“It’s very important to understand that to date the gold standard for testing and for early detection remains to be the RT-PCR test,” Dr. Arjun Dang, CEO of Dr Dangs Lab.