COVID-19 testing reagents produced by a South Korean company. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Dec. 17 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korean small drug firm Bioneer Corp. said Friday it has developed two new COVID-19 test kits that can detect the newly emerging omicron variant and that can distinguish between the omicron and delta variants.
It marks the first time for a local drug firm to develop a kit that can differentiate between unique mutations in the omicron variant and the delta variant, the dominant and most infectious version of the COVID-19 virus.
While the World Health Organization said omicron poses a “very high” global risk with a high likelihood of further transmission, most test kits on the market currently cannot distinguish between the omicron and delta variants.
The development, joined by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, came as several studies suggest the omicron variant may cause less severe symptoms than the delta variant.
Bioneer said the kit will help doctors and health workers in sorting COVID-19 patients who are more likely to develop into severe cases.
(Yonhap)
