Innova Lateral Flow Tests Effective In Detection Of Omicron Variant
Innova Medical Group confirms its rapid and cost-effective Lateral Flow Tests detect emergent mutations
PASADENA, Calif., Dec. 6, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Innova Medical Group, Inc., a global health screening and diagnostic innovator and the world's largest manufacturer and distributor of lateral flow test kits, has confirmed that the company's SARS-CoV-2 Antigen Tests detect the Omicron variant.
A WHO variant of concern, the strain has become more widespread around the world in recent weeks, with dozens of cases detected in the UK.
In response to the variant's emergence, government measures brought into effect this week have reimposed compulsory mask-wearing in England in shops and on public transport.
While researchers are working diligently to determine the efficacy of vaccines and boosters against the new variant, rapid testing is a critically important tool in effectively controlling the spread of the virus and help keep communities safe. Innova has confirmed its Lateral Flow Tests are effective in detecting the B.1.1.529 (Omicron) variant.
Innova started assessing the variant after it was published by the WHO in late-November and the results were additionally confirmed in other laboratories.
"As the Omicron strain shows signs of increased transmissibility across the world, the global effort to eliminate COVID-19 requires frequent, comprehensive and equitable testing that can rapidly detect these emerging strains," said Daniel Elliott, President and CEO of Innova Medical Group.
Numerous scientific studies as well as ongoing public health screening of millions of people on a regular basis have shown rapid antigen tests are an important tool for identifying infectious people quickly and equitably, even when they may not have symptoms of COVID-19, in ways that simply are not possible with slower, more expensive, lab-based tests. This has become even more important following initial suggestions Omicron variant symptoms can be milder in some people than other strains.
While the virus continues to morph its genetic ribonucleic acid ("RNA") to generate new and potentially more contagious or more harmful variants, Innova's antigen test, which detects multiple proteins in the virus, can often be a more effective tool in controlling the spread and reducing surges than other methods, such as PCR testing.
"We're proud to supply our partners around the world with cost-effective, readily available tests which can successfully detect the spread of multiple strains of the virus and ultimately play a major role in assisting the global health community in stamping out this pandemic," added Mr. Elliott.
When coupled with Innova's expansive production capacity, the wide-ranging detection capabilities of Innova's rapid antigen tests, which have been widely distributed by the government across the UK in a variety of use cases for over a year now, underline Innova's role as a critical partner to nations and businesses alike in containing the more contagious strains.
For more information on Innova, please visit: https://www.innovamedgroup.com
About Innova Medical Group, Inc.
Innova Medical Group, wholly owned by Pasaca Capital, Inc., is a global health screening and diagnostic innovator driven to dramatically improve health outcomes worldwide with equitable, high-value testing solutions. From delivering more than 2 billion COVID-19 rapid test kits to customers worldwide since the beginning of the pandemic, to providing critical vaccines, including highly sought-after WHO approved COVID-19 vaccines to the world population, Innova is committed to improving the human condition globally. Our strategic and iterative approach enables us to create, build and deploy a myriad of accessible tests customized to meet and empower the user at their point of need. With a panoramic vision spanning the present to the future, we develop trusted solutions that are both intuitive and secure to use. We quickly and nimbly became the world's largest provider of COVID-19 tests, and we are determined to execute on this model across infectious disease, other chronic conditions and wellness. For more information, please visit: www.innovamedgroup.com
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