DIPCOVAN

WHY IN NEWS?

• The Defence Research and Development Organisation have developed an antibody detection kit for the early screening of COVID-19.
• The Defence Institute of Physiology and Allied Sciences, a lab of DRDO, in association with Delhi based firm Vanguard Diagnostics Pvt Ltd, has developed DIPCOVAN, the DIPS-VDx COVID 19 IGg Antibody Microwell ELISA for sero surveillance.

About:

• The kit can detect the spike as well as the nucleocapsid (S and N) proteins of the SARS-CoV-2 virus with a high sensitivity of 97% and specificity of 99%.
• DIPCOVAN aims for the qualitative detection of IgG antibodies in human serum or plasma, targeting the SARS-CoV-2 related antigens.
• The detection kit also offers a significantly faster turn-around time as it requires only 75 minutes to conduct the test without any form of cross-reactivity with other diseases.
• The antibody detection kit will be useful for understanding COVID-19 epidemiology as well as assessing the individual’s previous SARS-CoV-2 exposure.