Even as the country reels under the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers and scientists are looking out for new and quick methods to detect the virus at an early stage so that treatment can be given early and damage can be minimised.
Keeping this in mind, the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research has developed a non-invasive RT-PCR method in which the results can be obtained in three hours.
The test does not require a swab to be collected. It involves a tube containing saline. One needs to put the saline in the mouth, gargle for 15 seconds and spit the liquid in the tube and send it for testing.
Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan termed the process a 'remarkable innovation'. "The 'Saline Gargle RT-PCR Test' developed by CSIR_NEERI shall increase ease and speed of COVID-19 testing in the country. This swab-free, non-invasive testing mechanism could prove to be a game-changer," he said.
Gargle is an easy-to-perform procedure, can be performed by the patients themselves without much training, and may have better patient acceptability.
The adoption of gargle for sample collection will translate to substantial cost savings as it would cut down not only the need for swabs and personal protective equipment (PPE) but also the need to develop and maintain special infrastructure for swab collection, the ICMR had earlier said in a study published in IJMR.
