OmiSure for Detecting the Omicron Variant of SARS-CoV-2

Table of Contents

OmiSure- Relevance for UPSC Exam

GS Paper 3: Science and Technology- Achievements of Indians in science & technology; indigenization of technology and developing new technology.

Recently, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has approved a testing kit for detecting the Omicron variant of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus.

About: OmiSure is an RT-PCR kit that will be used to confirm the Omicron variant of Covid virus in patients with its S-Gene Target Failure (SGTF) strategy.
Development of OmiSure kit: the kit is manufactured by Tata Medical and Diagnostics and is named OmiSure.
- The kit currently in use to detect Omicron in India has been developed by the U.S.-based scientific instrumentation company Thermo Fisher.
- It, too, uses the SGTF strategy to detect the variant.

Critical for Public Health: Diagnostic services like the OmiSure test kit are critical for public health.
- During an outbreak, timely information is needed to guide and tailor public health response to stop/ curtail disease spread.
Reducing Inaccessibility: Development of OmiSure will help in addressing inequalities in access to COVID-19 diagnostics tools in India and globally.

About: In the context of rising omicron cases, the WHO is proposing to set up a SARS-CoV-2 genomics consortium in Southeast Asia this year.
Key Mandates:
- The SARS-CoV-2 genomics consortium will help enhance genomic sequencing and surveillance.
- The SARS-CoV-2 consortium will develop a robust regional system for detecting and monitoring the evolution of SARS-CoV-2 viral threats for epidemics and pandemics.
Significance:
- The SARS-CoV-2 genomics consortium will help improve the timely use of genomic data for public health decision-making.
- The SARS-CoV-2 genomics consortium also aims to strengthen preparedness and response to future outbreaks/ pandemics, added a release issued by the group.