8 October 2020 - - Irish life sciences company MyBio has partnered with German manufacturer MöLab GmbH to bring the most accurate Covid-19 antigen test available globally to the Irish market, the company said.

The test establishes whether a person has the virus with an accuracy rate of 99%.

The low-cost, rapid antigen test is analysed on-site without additional equipment or a laboratory setting, producing results in 15 minutes. The test will enable easier detection of asymptomatic carriers of the virus and contact tracing of those who may have already been exposed.

Advocates for antigen testing include leading Harvard epidemiologist Dr Michael Mina, who is a vocal proponent of the role that rapid antigen tests can play in defeating the virus.

Dr Mina argues that while the use of clinical PCR testing is necessary for testing symptomatic people, antigen testing provides a faster and more cost-effective solution for monitoring the asymptomatic spread of Covid-19 in the community.

The test is designed to supplement rather than replace the current State testing system, allowing for quick and constant testing before positive cases take a confirmatory, official State test.

With the Centre for Global Development estimating only a 50% chance of a vaccine by April 2021, MyBio has also published a white paper this week on 'The Role of Antigen Testing in the Plan for Living with Covid-19' outlining the fundamental role these tests will play in Ireland's testing strategy as society adapts to living with the virus.

Based in Kilkenny, MyBio is a distributor of reagents and diagnostic devices to the research, pharmaceutical, clinical and diagnostic testing laboratories and pharmacies of Ireland.

MöLab GmbH was established in 1983. For more than 37 years, the company has been pioneering new and modern ways to manufacture point-of-care diagnostics. Their products and services serve doctors, hospitals, utilities, public institutions, and security-related authorities.