Acumen Diagnostics has announced that its polymerase chain reaction ("PCR") test kits Acu-Corona 2.0 and Acu-Corona Duplex are able to detect Covid-19 positive cases infected with the Omicron variant. The series of Acu-Corona and SatuGen Covid-19 PCR test kits can detect the presence of the Omicron variant in SARS-CoV-2 samples.
Dr Ong Siew Hwa, Executive Director of Aoxin Q&M Dental and Chief Executive Officer & Chief Scientist of Acumen Diagnostics said, "As the Covid-19 threat continues to evolve with the emergence of a potentially more transmissible variant, Omicron, highly-accurate and cost-effective testing becomes even more important to detect and help curb the spread of the virus.
With PCR tests remaining the gold standard to detect Covid-19, Acumen Diagnostics remains well-positioned to help Singapore tackle this new challenge posed by the virus, with our effective and affordable PCR test kits that are equipped to detect Covid-19 positive cases infected with Delta and Omicron, as well as our laboratory testing capabilities that can run 7,000 tests daily. We will continue to contribute to national Covid-19 testing efforts to support Singapore's safe and sustainable re-opening."
The Acu-Corona 2.0 PCR test targets two Covid-19 genes - RdRp and E, while the Acu-Corona Duplex PCR test targets the E gene and S gene. The portion of the S gene targeted by the Acu-Corona Duplex PCR test does not contain any of the 32 mutations that occurred in the Omicron variant, hence it can detect the Omicron variant without any loss of sensitivity.