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Any New Way to Track Omicron Besides the Sequencing?


Omicron Has Put Many Countries' Coronavirus Sequencing Efforts to the Test


Omicron variant has shown surging cases in nearly 77 countries around the world in less than one month and seems to become a predominant variant in some regions.


WHO has officially appealed to countries that they must enhance surveillance & sequencing efforts to curb Omicron. Even in the developed countries, the sequencing capability is not satisfying, let alone say how insufficient in the developing countries with fragile health system. There are about 90000 daily cases in USA, but the sequencing capability is only around 18000, according to the CNN news. In France, before sequencing the virus of a suspected Omicron case, there will be a thorough tracking and quarantine to minimize the risk of transmission.


Rapid Antigen Test Considered Indispensable on Mass Screening


Facing the potential high transmissibility, it is quite urgent to implement mass screening in a fast and accurate way to avoid “hyperlocal outbreaks”, while rapid antigen test is considered indispensable and effective. Obviously, there's an urgent need to rather ramp up sequencing capability or figuring out a rapid way to identify Omicron variant for improving the situation. The new screening scheme with lower cost and higher efficiency is an essential  topic especially for the developing countries.





Fapon Biotech Developed POCT Test Solution to Identify SARS-CoV-2 Omicron within Half an Hour


As a mainstream COVID-19 testing raw materials and reagent solution supplier to global top-profile reagent manufacturers, Fapon Biotech is racing to develop faster and more convenient way to identify Omicron variant, introducing POCT Test Solution for SARS-CoV-2 and Its Omicron Variant Identification. The new patented product can be used to quickly detect the patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection and to identify the Omicron mutant strains infection just in one test. Utilizing this, the screening process for mutant strains could be greatly optimized. For one thing, the rapid antigen test for Omicron could help quickly implemented test-trace-isolate strategies and lockdowns. On the other hand, the additional POCT test can screen out some infectious patients and reduce the pressure on PCR testing.


Product Principleapplied for patent):

Three mutation sites (E31del, R32del, S33del in the coronavirus N protein are Omicron-specific mutation sites. According to it, Fapon designed antibody pairs which recognize those sites and therefore do not detect or with weak detection of Omicron strain, to compare with the normal detection of Omicron strain antibody pairs, so as to distinguish Omicron specifically. With simple operation, the test results can be obtained in only 20-25min.



Note:T1 line is for wild-type strain, T2 line is for Omicron. When color in T1 and faint color in T2, it is interpreted as infection of Omicron variant. When color in T1 and T2, it is interpreted as positive in COVID-19 but non-infection of Omicron.


For this newly developed patented POCT Test Solution for SARS-CoV-2 and Its Omicron Variant Identification, Fapon Biotech has used recombinant N protein for preliminary test, while further verification experiments on Omicron live virus are entrusted with a remarkable research team.


Fapon Biotech Proposes Wider Range Experiment by Providing Free Test Solution for More Rapid Countermeasure on Omicron


Considering the satisfactory progress on the internal experiment result, Cui Peng, Chairman of Fapon Biotech, passionately said that Fapon will continue to optimize the verification method. “Meanwhile, we’d like to propose a wider range experiment on this new-product-based screening scheme, and joint development on the product, inviting global manufactures, developers, and decision-makers from government who are taking all the efforts to optimize the epidemic prevention policies in different countries.” He added, “Fapon Biotech is pleased to donate FREE POCT Test Solution for SARS-CoV-2 and its Omicron Variant Identification to support research for the screening scheme. If the new scheme is verified to be highly promising in practice, Fapon is willing to provide more free products for the implementation in different countries.”


For those who are  interested in the donation details, you are warmly welcome to contact Fapon Biotech for further information via email (market@fapon.com).