The Drug Controller General of India has given licenses to 18 companies to conduct tests for coronavirus (Covid-19)amid the outbreak in the country. Till now only govt laboratories are only conducting tests for Covid-19.
The agency has given license to 18 companies which include international and Indian private companies to conduct novel coronavirus tests.
As per reports, some of these companies include– Cadila healthcare limited, Zydus Health care limited, Medsource healthcare private limited, Cosara diagnostics private limited, Roche Diagnostics, Biomerieux etc.
An official requesting anonymity said, “a lot of companies have approached us. Only a few of them could fulfil the parameters. Since these are the test license, first we will do an assessment. Then we will provide to our laboratory technicians in India.” Currently, 75 government labs are doing tests for the Covid-19.
Yesterday Ahmedabad based CoSara Diagnostics Pvt Ltd had claimed that they have become the fiest company to get a licence from Central Drugs Standards Control Organisation (CDSCO) to manufacture coronavirus test kits. The firm claims its reagent kits can give coronavirus test results in about 2.5 hrs, as against five hours taken by the kits being used by ICMR and its labs. The company is a joint venture between Co-Diagnostics Inc of Utah, USA, and Ambalal Sarabhai Enterprises of India.
The Indian Council of Medical Research has confirmed that the novel Coronavirus cases in India have climbed to 206 on Friday. ICMR said in its report that a total of 14,376 samples have been tested from 13,486 individuals for testing the presence of SARS-CoV2 as on March 20, 2020. The Prime Minister has asked the country to observe a “Janata curfew” on 22 March and urged the citizens to remain indoors unless necessary. The PM also asked people to postpone non-essential surgeries, and avoid visiting hospitals.