In addition to this, the FG also announced that these kits, which are called ‘RNA Swift’ will also be available commercially at a reduced cost.
RNA Swift is a test kit used for the identification of SARS CoV-2 in patients, which is the causative agent for the Coronavirus pandemic.
According to the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology, this testing kit was developed in order to speed up the effective testing of Nigerians during the pandemic.
This faster and more effective testing will help the NCDC test more people in order to better understand and control the spread of Coronavirus in the country.
The Minister of Science and Technology, Ogbonnaya Onu told reporters in Abuja:
“The RNA-Swift has amazing precision for the detection of SARS-COV-2 and will be commercially available at a price that places it ahead of competitors in terms of sensitivity and affordability.
“I want to confirm to you that the RNA-Swift product team is in consultation with the African Development Bank for the funding of an African-wide testing programme for COVID-19 and the establishment for RNA-Swift production in Nigeria.”
Great news. I will like to know though, what the success rate of the kit is? You know the incidences of false positives and false negatives vis-a-vis WHO-approved kits…