Santo Purnama, co-founder of Singapore-based biotech startup Sensing Self, has developed a rapid self-test kit for COVID-19, for people who want to test themselves at the comfort of their homes.
The product has already obtained a license from Europe (with CE certification), India (approved by the National Institute of Virology and the Indian Council of Medical Research), and the US (through Food and Drug Administration).
The kit uses enzyme analysis to offer results in around 10 minutes, instead of using nostril swab tests, which take up to an hour.
According to Purnama, the product is priced at a low rate of US$10 per unit is because he considers this as a social mission to help save more lives.
As per a company statement, the Indian government has already ordered millions of test kits, while Europe and the US have already certified it.
The kits are currently available in 14 countries, including Italy, Spain, Germany, the UK, Czech Republic, Switzerland, SouthKorea, China, Lebanon, Japan, India, Netherlands, the UAE and South America.
Purnama also expressed his disappointment that even four weeks after the product was developed, the Indonesian government has failed to determine the approval status of the self-test kit.
“We have sent out Sensing Self test kits to help renowned research institutions, such as the Mayo Clinic, the University of California San Francisco, and Chan Zuckerberg Biohub. We always maintain the quality of each unit, as well as its accuracy, because we understand that this is a medical tool highly related to one’s health. Early detection of the COVID-19 virus can make a difference between life and death,” he said.
Also Read: COVID-19 may drive us apart today, but it could bring humanity closer in the future
Currently, Purnama and his team are developing a test that can detect COVID-19 infection as soon as a person is exposed to the virus. Sensing Self team plans to launch this product soon.
“The war against COVID-19 is a war against time. We must reduce the growth rate of this pandemic by carrying out tests as widely as possible. That said, we hope that the Indonesian government could authorise our initiative to bring these independent test kits to Indonesia,” Purnama added.
“If everyone has access to self-test kits, we can minimise the risk of infection when patients need to come to the hospital for the test. At the same time, we can relieve the burden of medical personnel who are already very overwhelmed,” he continued.
As per an employee of Sensing Self, the healthcare providers of different countries have made the kits available to their people at a subsidised rate.
—
Image Credit: Sensing Self
The post Indonesian entrepreneur develops FDA-approved rapid self-test kit priced at US$10 for COVID-19 appeared first on e27.