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 Governments around the world are urgently scouring databases for
recent cases of COVID-19 infections, screening travellers and
decoding the viral genomes of the new variant as they try to measure
how far it has spread.
Last week, the World Health Organization (WHO) classified Omicron as
a SARS-CoV-2 "variant of concern", saying it might spread more
quickly than other forms.
"We are able to offer a test that can specifically identify the
novel B.1.1.529 Omicron SARS-CoV-2 variant to help better understand
its spread and behaviour," Thomas Schinecker, head of Roche
Diagnostics, said in a statement.
While the WHO has said widely available tests can detect individuals
infected with any variant, most PCR tests cannot distinguish between
Omicron and Delta, the dominant and most infectious version of the
virus.
Until now, the world body has recommended only the TaqPath test
produced by U.S. firm Thermo Fisher as a proxy.
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The new Roche and TIB Molbiol testing kits, made
only for research use, can differentiate between
unique mutations in Omicron compared to other
SARS-CoV-2 variants, Roche said.
They can thus help researchers detect Omicron
and study its spread versus other variants.
Roche said they could also be used to monitor
the potential impact of therapeutics, vaccines,
and public health interventions on the spread of
variants.
Roche acquired Berlin-based TIB Molbiol on Dec.
1 to expand its PCR-test portfolio to combat new
infectious diseases.
(Reporting by Brenna Hughes Neghaiwi; Editing by
Paul Carrel and Clarence Fernandez)
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