With the emergence of the Omicron covid variant in the United States, it’s becoming more important to identify and track the different forms of the virus. A New York State company has developed an easy-to-use and cost-effective test to identify variants.
Ithaca-basedRheonixsays that its COVID-19 MDx assay test will detect the newly emerging Omicron variant. Vice President of strategy and marketing Brooke Schwartz says their test is one of the best at detecting the virus.
"According to an FDA side-by-side comparison of molecular tests, ours was one of the most sensitive. So, that's very important particularly in testing samples with low viral load."
Schwartz says the test is also highly scalable, meaning labs can respond to surging test levels by using the low-cost system. This is important, as initial reports from the WHO indicate the Omicron variant may spread more easily. Meaning accurate and timely testing is essential as we enter the winter.
Schwartz says the Rheonix test allows smaller community-based labs to get the results they need efficiently.
"The instrument that it runs on is very easy to set up and use, and it requires minimal technical time to run. So, it's really a great fit for regional and local labs that want to do testing in-house and get same-day results."
The WHO warns that Omicron has a large number of mutations across its viral genome. Rheonix Chief scientist doctor Gwendolyn Spizz says the robust design of their test allows for the detection of all designated variants of concern to date.