COVID-19
COVID-19 pandemic has opened the frontiers of viral pathogenicity to the next level. In 2020, the first wave of COVID-19 infection carried only one strain. The COVID-19 severity thus is contained timely. The second wave hit hard in February of 2021, with many strains infecting in a whole spree. There were local as well as migratory mutants which had proved to fatal than before. Several factors like dropping the guard early, gathering in public places, and delayed vaccination drive, have lead to the rise in mortality and the slow recovery of patients.
The second wave of COVID-19 has proved to be a learning experience for all. The focus is now more given on testing and surveillance of the disease. Only early testing and detection can guarantee proper treatment. It also helps in the complete recovery of the patient. Rapid Antigen Card is compulsory for contact tracing and helps in early screening. RT-PCR testing is the only gold standard for confirmation of the infection.
Antibody testing came into the limelight to survey the immune response to infection by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Neutralizing antibodies (NAb) help in better understanding the immune response to the disease. NAbs are produced by the B-Cells and prevent the virus from attaching to the host cells. It proves to be significant enough to stop the spreading of infection. The production of NAb in the host system indicates that it’s developing good immunity against the disease. For COVID-19 diagnostics, NAb is more significant and introduced in the system by vaccination. The type of vaccine and time interval between jabs determines the titer of NAb to develop in the host body. Neutralizing the Antibody test is ideal in managing the therapeutic and treatment management of a patient. With a higher rate of production of NAb, there is a reduced need for hospitalization and saving the patient from certain death.
From the beginning of the pandemic in the country, J Mitra & Co. is catering to the need for Antibody testing for COVID-19 infection. The intensity of the second wave of COVID-19 helped conceive the idea to use Neutralizing antibodies in the diagnostic approach. The J Mitra & Co. COVID-19 Neutralizing Antibody kit is a result of in-house research and development. It has been evaluated and is effective with >95% Sensitivity and 100% Specificity.