Kavach Elisa

The ELISA-based test developed at the National Institute of Virology, Pune, is called COVID KAVACH ELISA. The Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assays (ELISAs) based test is a laboratory technique used for the detection of antibodies that are produced by the body to fight against antigens or foreign substances. ELISA-based tests are blood-based tests, which have high sensitivity and specificity.

The Covid Kavach ELISA Test is a rapid point-of-care, point-of-emergence surveillance tool which has been validated at two sites and has been validated for use as a POE surveillance tool. It is a quick test that can be done in the field, i.e., it is not a lab test that requires heavy equipment and well-trained staff. The Covid Kavach ELISA Test is also very useful as an indicator upon which you can monitor outbreaks of infection in the population and differentiate between new outbreaks and continuation of the initial outbreak.

What is the Covid Kavach ELISA Test?

The Covid Kavach ELISA Test developed at the National Institute of Virology, Pune, is an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test kit. The test kit has been validated at two sites and has been validated for use as a rapid point of care, as well as a point of emergence (POE) surveillance tool. Various professional organizations, e.g., American Association for Clinical Chemistry and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia have also supported this test.

According to the National Institute of Virology, Pune, the Covid Kavach ELISA Test kit is an ELISA-based test that has high sensitivity and specificity. The Covid Kavach ELISA Test kit also has a built-in control line (diagnostic control) which indicates whether the reagents are active or not.

The sensitivity of a test refers to how many results will correctly detect infection in a person. A higher sensitivity means fewer false-negative results, i.e., the result shows that there is no infection in the patient but it is present in reality. The specificity of a test refers to how many results will correctly detect infection in patients who are already infected.

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Significance of the Covid Kavach ELISA Test

Covid Kavach ELISA Test is a very good tool for surveillance of infections spread in a community. It can be taken home, the results can be reviewed in one day and any further intervention is not required from the healthcare providers if the results are positive. Thus, it has great implications for disease control and preparedness for an outbreak (how to stop or contain an impending outbreak).

Covid Kavach ELISA Test is also very useful as an indicator that you could use to monitor outbreaks/outbreaks in the population. By analysing the results of the Covid Kavach ELISA Test after an outbreak, you would know whether this was a new outbreak or if there was a continuation of the initial infection breakout.

Precaution Related to the Covid Kavach ELISA Test

There are certain precautions that need to be considered for this test. These include:

1. While doing an ELISA test, you should ensure that the ELISA plates are coated properly with the target antigen or antigen inactivated form of the virus. If it is not, you will get false-positive results, i.e. results indicating that someone is infected when in reality, that person is not.
2. You should also ensure that the wells of the ELISA plates are not blocked by impurities. This will lead to false-negative results as well.
3. A negative result in this test means it cannot be used to differentiate between an infection and non-infection in a sample (for example, a patient who has already recovered from an existing infection will still show that he/she is positive for antibodies against the virus). This is because antibodies persist for years, so even if there was no infection at all, antibody presence would still show up even after loads of time passes.

According to the Covid Kavach ELISA Test, if someone shows positive results after a confirmed case of Coronavirus infection, then you are at high risk for getting Coronavirus if you did not fully recover from the onset of the illness. Therefore, it is imperative that you get vaccinated against Coronavirus in order to prevent this from happening to you.

FAQs on Kavach Elisa

Q1: How is the Covid Kavach ELISA Test different from RT-PCR?

Covid Kavach ELISA Test is a blood-based test while RT-PCR is a saliva-based test. However, both are laboratory techniques used for the detection of infection in the body.

ELISA-based tests are considered to be more accurate than PCR-based tests, although the latter is faster and does not require very sophisticated equipment to carry out the test and interpret results. The cost of an ELISA-based test kit is also not high as the cost of PCR equipment needed for the same (if you decide to do it yourself).

Q2: How is the Covid Kavach ELISA Test used?

It is similar to a PCR test in general, i.e., you will provide a drop of your blood sample onto the ELISA plate and then wait for 48 to 72 hours for the reaction to be completed.

Q3: Does the Covid Kavach ELISA Test need any special equipment?

Kavach Elisa does not require any special equipment. The only thing that you will need is a well-trained and experienced technician, the accuracy and validity of results will depend on how well trained he/she is.

Q4: Can you do the Covid Kavach ELISA Test at home?

Yes, you can now do the Covid Kavach ELISA Test at home.