The Omisure test kit is approved to detect the Omicron variant of Covid-19 and will soon be available in the market from 12th January 2022. The government will use it as a tool in decreasing genome sequencing load. Omisure test kit is developed by Tata Medical and Diagnostic Centre and will cost Rs 250. It detects the Omicron variant by combining S-gene target failure and S-gene mutation amplification. This is the first test that can accurately differentiate between the Omicron and Delta variant, and it will give the result in just four hours.

NATHEALTH president Harsh Mahajan said that “At present, the state governments are using Thermo Fisher test kit to detect the S gene which is not present in Delta. If there is S gene target failure we know it is Omicron. This test is not manufactured in India. The new test kit Omisure has very high accuracy and will help in identifying the Covid-19 variant better.” Currently, the RT-PCR test is used to check if a person has contracted SARS-CoV-2. However, this test can not differentiate between Omicron and Delta.