Incas Diagnostics ‘cautiously optimistic’ about new coronavirus RDT kit

The Co-Producers of the coronavirus Rapid Diagnostics Test (RDT) with the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Incas Diagnostics, are hopeful their kit will eventually be approved for use as testing becomes more critical during the pandemic.

But in the meantime, the Managing Director of Incas Diagnostics, Dr. Laud Anthony, has been tempering expectations.

Though this development has been met with praise, Dr. Anthony, on the Citi Breakfast Show, said he was “cautiously optimistic about” the progress made.

“…This is mainly because we have gotten to a critical stage of the product development cycle,” he said.

The kit is currently before the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) ahead of possible certification.

“They are going to look at the quality. They are going to look at whether we followed all the protocols we are supposed to follow and from there, [the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research and the West African Center for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens] is going to validate [it].”

Currently, the main mode of testing in Ghana has been via the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR).

RDT kits are noted to have limitations and persons who use them are still advised to go for a confirmation test using the more precise PCR tests.

“PCR will always be the gold standard however there is the need to have another test that basically augments PCR testing,” Dr. Anthony reminded.

About the Incas, KNUST RDT kit

Their kit has been likened to the homemade kit used in testing glucose or pregnancy.

One only needs a finger-prick drop of blood from the individual to detect the two different types of antibodies produced by the body to fight off the COVID-19 infection about seven days after infection.

The testing process with this kit takes just about 15-20 minutes to perform.

It enables those tested to know their results in a relatively short time to enable decision making in real-time by health authorities.

So far, the FDA has warned the public that, it has not registered or recognised any RDT kit for the novel coronavirus.

The FDA has indicated that over 100 companies and institutions have approached it to import RDTs from China, South Korea, among others.

A company has also requested permission to commence local mass production of the RDT kits in partnership with a foreign partner.

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