Iranian Scientists Produce Diagnostic Kits to Distinguish Coronavirus from Different Types of Flu

“Laboratory kits are the lab test equipment that diagnose diseases by sampling blood, urine, tissue or saliva. The molecular test method for detecting infectious pathogens and cancer markers was performed for the first time in the knowledge-based Hana Gene company,” Behnam Yousefi, the managing director of the company, told ANA.

“Molecular diagnosis plays an important role in tests related to infectious diseases because it can provide effective and quick results. The increase in the prevalence of hospital infections and infectious diseases leads to an increase in the market demand for these products,” he added.

“It is necessary to examine the nucleus of the virus and bacteria to identify the type of virus. During the coronavirus epidemic, we produced and presented three types of coronavirus, corona-influenza and influenza A and B differentiation diagnosis kits to the market. We managed to distinguish coronavirus from different types of influenza with these diagnostic kits,” Yousefi said.

Since the coronavirus outbreak in Iran in February 2020, several biotechnology firms developed test kits for detecting the virus, despite restrictions imposed on the imports of diagnostic tools due to the US sanctions.

Iran has also managed to develop its own vaccines against the outbreak.

Iranian experts had earlier designed and developed a test kit capable of detecting infection with the coronavirus within only 20 seconds and with high accuracy.

Tahereh Rohani, the chairwoman of the board of directors at a knowledge-based company, said the diagnostic kit had been designed and manufactured by relying on domestic capabilities.

The test kit, designed to respond specifically to the coronavirus, can be used both at home and at laboratories.

The product has a sensitivity of 96% and a specificity of 98% and is based on saliva sampling. The detection time varies between 10 and 20 seconds.

4155/v