COVID-19 and the way it changes our future and perception

COVID-19 has been an eye opener to everyone, bringing changes that have made us stunned and confused initially, shifting us to a new normal. New and improved products for quicker diagnosis with simplified process will help in diagnosing the infection before it spreads.

The onset of the second wave of COVID-19 has made us all go forward and search for more viable solutions. The intensity of the events has multiplied four folds from the first wave, making us all go back to being locked down in our homes for our safety. The much-anticipated vaccines have made this COVID scenario much more bearable as it brought in a ray of hope in the current unpredictable time.

The medical fraternity has once again extended their support in battling COVID-19, and their valor is truly remarkable with their persistent struggles and their valiant efforts for a smoother path. The medical fraternity must deal with the critical COVID-19 patients, but also has to divert its attention to other gravely ill patients who require immediate intervention.

The fear of COVID-19 has not been a barrier to attend to these patients, but it is advisable to take necessary precautions before doing so. As time being a major and critical factor for these critical patients, the outcome of life and death may be dependent on the reaction time. Faced with this dilemma, many medical practitioners engage promptly with the patient risking their chance of getting a COVID-19 infection. The RT-PCR technology is limited by the factor of time as it requires approximately 4–6 hours for the result, which can be a fatal delay for a critically ill patient.

The reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) technology carries reaction at constant temperature unlike PCR (polymerase chain reaction) testing. This technology is considered as a significant improvement from PCR as it is more economical for lab owners as it does not require high investment of equipment and other supporting infrastructure, and can provide quicker and accurate results with high correlation with PCR method.

The LAMP technology is capable to address the need of the hour, much quicker and accurate results for COVID detection, enabling faster responses. The LAMP-based technology is a quantum leap in time for the diagnosis of COVID-19 and for the molecular diagnostics segment in the Indian scenario.

As the world is opening up again, COVID-19 is a major risk that has to be accounted for. Since the vaccination drive is still ongoing and still has a significant ground to cover, proper identification and isolation of the infected patients is the only way to contain this virus. RT-LAMP- based assay is the viable solution for a quick and reliable testing method, capable of providing the freedom to move freely.

Our struggles are not over after the diagnosis of COVID-19. It is essential that the patient is constantly monitored for their health. Prognosis parameters of D-Dimer, Ferritin, and CRP are constantly monitored and the demand for such kits has increased exponentially due to their effectiveness in determining the improvement of the patients. After the onset of COVID-19, we have been able to supply 30 million tests to the market.

The move for self-sufficiency is the need of the hour to cater to any sudden and huge demand spontaneously. This line of thought will bring in Indigenous products to the Indian market creating a sustainable growth.

The present Indian scenario has widely opened up for post-COVID diagnosis. The rising complicated health issues post COVID infections are now visible. This has created a new approach in the field of diagnostics that identifies diagnostic labs as a need. The mindset of the population is rapidly shifting to a pro-active approach for health cases – a trend that will significantly improve the health scenario of every individual in our nation.