January 14, 2022 – OraSure Technologies, Inc., announced that its InteliSwab® COVID-19 rapid tests detect the Omicron variant as effectively as they detect the original SARS-CoV-2 strain and other previous variants of concern, including Delta, Alpha, Beta and Gamma. The Omicron variant studies were conducted using live SARS-CoV-2 virus at an independent, third-party laboratory and showed InteliSwab® detected the Omicron variant at the same viral load levels, or limit of detection, as previous variants that were tested.
“The global COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve, and we will continue to monitor the situation and test InteliSwab® with all new variants of concern as they emerge,” said Lisa Nibauer, President of Diagnostics for OraSure. “As the Omicron variant erupts across the nation, this news should give consumers even more confidence when using the InteliSwab® test.”
Testing with InteliSwab® is simple: users swab their lower nostrils with the test stick, swirl it in a pre-measured solution, and see their result on the test stick in 30 minutes – with no instruments, batteries, smartphone or laboratory analysis needed to see the result. With less than one minute of “hands-on time,” it is as simple as “Swab, Swirl, and See.”
OraSure has received Emergency Use Authorizations (EUA) from the FDA for its InteliSwab® COVID-19 rapid tests. The FDA has authorized the InteliSwab® COVID-19 Rapid Test for over the counter (OTC) use without a prescription. The FDA has also authorized the InteliSwab® COVID-19 Rapid Test Pro for professional use in point of care (POC) CLIA-waived settings, and the InteliSwab® COVID-19 Rapid Test Rx for Prescription Home Use. These remarkably simple COVID-19 lateral flow tests use samples self-collected from the lower nostrils. InteliSwab®’s unique design incorporates a built-in swab fully integrated into the end of the test stick.