Northern Ireland company, Alpha PH, has launched a 15-minute Saliva Rapid Test for Covid-19 that can be self-administered.
The firm said it expects to fulfil more than 20,000 orders before Easter, based on current demand for rapid Covid-19 testing solutions.
The IRIS SARS-CoV-2 Ag Saliva Rapid Test is conducted without the need for laboratory analysis, and thus delivers test results within 15 minutes, based on the provision of a small saliva sample.
From the saliva sample, the IRIS Saliva Rapid Test can detect the virus that causes Covid-19, and is "clinically more accurate at detecting the virus than a nasal swab test, offering a 99.5% rate of clinical accuracy".
The test is now available to be purchased across the UK and Ireland.
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Alpha PH Director, Kevin Sweeney said: “Offering a minimally invasive testing alternative to nasal swab tests, while delivering even more accurate results, the Saliva Rapid Test is easy to implement.
"An accurate, affordable, rapid testing solution, the Saliva Rapid Test will have a key role to play in the safe re-opening of our society and workplaces.
“The IRIS Saliva Rapid Test can significantly help to prevent the spread of Covid-19 by quickly and accurately diagnosing both symptomatic and asymptomatic people within a 15-minute frame.
"With its ease of use, performance and price point, it’s a game-changer when it comes to Covid-19 testing, providing an ideal testing solution that can help to get the economy back to normal, by ensuring safety and peace of mind for individuals, customers and workforces across the country.”
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Alpha PH previously launched the first rapid swab test kit for Covid-19 in Northern Ireland in partnership with European biotech company, Alpha Pharma.
Since its launch in September 2020, 53,000 units of the rapid swab Covid-19 test have since been sold to companies, sporting organisations, healthcare facilities and individuals.
Alpha PH also created a rapid antibody test, which delivers a qualitative determination of lgM and lgG Covid-19 antibodies, indicating that a person has previously had the coronavirus.
Alpha PH strongly advise that those who receive a positive test result from the Saliva Rapid Test for Covid-19 arrange a PCR test immediately and consult their GP, following government guidelines in relation to isolation.
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Please visit www.alphatestkits.com for further information.
Source: Written from press release
