COVID-19 testing kit available online

COVID-19 tests are now available online. In a statement, Bengaluru-based Practo said the company has partnered with Thyrocare to conduct the detection tests. The tests have been authorised by the government of India and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

The tests are available for Mumbai residents for now and will soon be expanded to across India. People will need to present a valid doctor’s prescription, a filled out Test Requisition Form signed by a physician, and a photo ID card at the time of testing.

The test will be available at a cost of ₹ 4,500 and can be booked online. These are the links – https://www.practo.com/covid-test and https://covid.thyrocare.com/.

“Certified phlebotomists from I2H will collect the samples from the patients”, said Practo in a statement. “They will be taking all necessary precautions mentioned in the ICMR guidelines while taking the swabs. The Swab that is taken during the test will be collected in a viral transport medium (VTM) and will be transported in a cold chain to the Thyrocare laboratory which has been selected for COVID-19 testing. The report will be made available to the patients on the Practo website within 24-48 hours of the sample collection”.

Dr. Alexander Kuruvilla, Chief Health Strategy Officer, Practo, said, “Widespread testing is critical to track the scale and prevent the transmission of COVID-19. To ensure that anyone who experiences the symptoms of the infection can get tested, the government is constantly working on expanding the list of labs and centers”.

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