THE MUCH-FEARED THIRD wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, borne by the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, came, saw, but didn’t conquer. And thank goodness for that. But while the wave created barely a ripple, it did bring in a new dynamic into the testing ‘industry’, one that looks set to stay with us for the foreseeable future. And that is the rise of home-based rapid antigen test (RAT) kits as a significant and more private—albeit not quite as effective—alternative to the now ubiquitous RT-PCR test. RAT is a point-of-care test that is used for quick diagnosis of an infectious disease, at home or in an emergency situation before admitting a patient into a hospital. The “at home”, “innovative” and “quick” Covid-19 testing idea is being sold smartly offline and online, giving rise to an entirely new market in the Indian pharmaceutical and diagnostics industry. In May 2021, the Indian Council of Medical
Research (ICMR) had approved a home-based RAT kit manufactured by Mylab Discovery Solutions, Pune. Since then, Abbott, Tata Medical and Diagnostics, and Trivitron Healthcare have also entered into the home-based Covid-19 testing business, and several others are planning to jump in soon. This helped ramp up the testing numbers during the Omicron wave in December-February. As on March 10, 2022, India had conducted 775,336,978 tests out of which 441,517,381 were RTPCR and 333,819,597 were RATs, including 594,541 home-based RATs, according to the ICMR. In fact, according to the Union health ministry, more than 200,000 home test kits were used in the first 20 days of January 2022—when Omicron was at its peak—in contrast to just 3,000 since May 2021, when the ICMR approved Covid-19 home tests.
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der April 03, 2022-Ausgabe von Business Today.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent ? Anmelden
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der April 03, 2022-Ausgabe von Business Today.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent? Anmelden
"Moving to cloud helped us grow❞
What was the problem you were grappling with?
She's Got Time
MORE WOMEN ARE BECOMING WATCH CONNOISSEURS, SEEKING OUT BOTH JEWELLED AND TECHNICAL WATCHES FOR THEIR STYLE AND CRAFTSMANSHIP
RISING STAR
PARUL GULATI IS a name that's been steadily gaining prominence in the Indian entertainment industry after she appeared on season 2 of Shark Tank in 2023. She has become a multifaceted personality who effortlessly transitions between acting and entrepreneurship.
Building on a Legacy
WHEN ZAHABIYA KHORAKIWALA stepped into her role as Managing Director of Wockhardt Hospitals over a decade ago, she confronted formidable challenges that have since turned into achievements.
LEADER IN INNOVATION
AS FEDEX'S PRESIDENT (Middle East, Indian subcontinent and Africa), Kami Viswanathan has a lot on her plate.
WAITING IN THE WINGS
Here are those who missed out as they have not yet completed a year in office; they'll be strong contenders in 2025
A DECENT PROPOSAL
IN TODAY'S WORLD OF TRYING TO CREATE AN EQUITABLE SPACE, BOTH MEN AND WOMEN CONTRIBUTE TO THEIR HOUSEHOLDS. WOMEN ARE ENCOURAGED TO HAVE THEIR OWN SAVINGS POOL AND INVESTMENT ROUTINE. GIVEN THIS, HOW SHOULD FUTURE BRIDES APPROACH FINANCIAL PLANNING?
Women and the STEM Bias
EMPOWERING WOMEN IN STEM WILL NOT ONLY BENEFIT INDIVIDUALS, BUT ALSO STRENGTHEN THE ENTIRE INDUSTRY, DRIVING INNOVATION AND PROGRESS.
ROCKET WOMEN
WOMEN IN INDIA ARE NOT ONLY VENTURING INTO SPACE BUT ARE ALSO STARTING TO SPEARHEAD THE COUNTRY'S EFFORTS IN THE GLOBAL SPACE RACE.
ONE STEP FORWARD
THE NUMBER OF WOMEN INDEPENDENT DIRECTORS IS GROWING STEADILY, BUT IT'S A LONG WAY FROM GENDER PARITY. MUCH MORE NEEDS TO BE DONE TO BREAK THE GLASS CEILING IN BOARDROOMS.
