A molecular test kit called the SARS-COV-2 Isothermal Molecular Assay (SIMA) has been produced by the Nigerian government to ameliorate Coronavirus testing in the country.
This development was announced by Minister of State for Health, Olorunnimbe Mamora. The Minister made the announcement at the recent bi-weekly Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 briefing. While making the announcement, Mamora said the test kit which was developed by the Nigeria Institute of Medical Research (NIMR) can produce results in less than 40 minutes.
He said the kit is faster than the Reverse Transcription- Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) which is the major source of Coronavirus testing in Nigeria, ten times cheaper than PCR and can be deployed for point of care detection and surveillance.
Mamora said: “The Nigeria Institute of Medical Research has developed a molecular test for COVID-19 that can give results in less than 40 minutes.
“It is the SARS-COV-2 Isothermal Molecular Assay (SIMA) which can be performed by low skilled personnel with minimum training.”
