Nucleic tests up to Omicron task – but keep eye on quality, top Chinese kit maker BGI says

Coronavirus nucleic acid test kits already on the market should be able to detect the Omicron variant, but accuracy could vary with sampling and product quality, a senior officer with China’s top test kit maker said.

BGI chief infectious disease scientist Chen Weijun said the group had been asked by the World Health Organization and Chinese regulator to assess the sensitivity of existing test kits in detecting the Omicron variant.