Finding the right tests…
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Finding the right tests…
Molecular
Truenat is a chip-based RT-PCR test for COVID-19, built to run on a small, battery-powered device rather than standard lab equipment, which is why it can operate in settings without a full molecular lab. Developed in India and validated by the Indian Council of Medical Research, it works in two steps: a first screening reaction targeting the E gene, followed by a confirmatory RdRp gene test on any sample that screens positive. A diagnostic accuracy study comparing Truenat against standard lab RT-PCR across more than 1,800 samples found a sensitivity of 69.5% and specificity of 90.9%, which is why a positive Truenat screen typically still needs the confirmatory step, and why standard RT-PCR remains the reference test it's checked against.
This test first reports whether the E gene screen is positive or negative. A negative screen is reported as negative for SARS-CoV-2. A positive E gene screen moves to a confirmatory RdRp gene reaction on the same platform, and only a positive result on that second step is reported as a confirmed positive. Because Truenat has shown lower sensitivity than standard lab RT-PCR in accuracy studies, a negative result in someone with strong symptoms or known exposure may still prompt your doctor to request standard RT-PCR to be sure.
Truenat runs on a compact, battery-operated system originally built for point-of-care TB testing in India, later adapted for SARS-CoV-2. Your swab sample is processed on a disposable microchip rather than in bulk lab equipment, which lets the test run at smaller centres without a dedicated molecular lab.
The first reaction screens for the E gene, a marker present across SARS-CoV-2 and some related coronaviruses, so a positive here isn't treated as final. Samples that screen positive move to a second, more specific reaction targeting the RdRp gene, which confirms the result before it's reported as positive.
A study of over 1,800 paired samples, using standard lab RT-PCR as the reference, measured Truenat's sensitivity at 69.5% and specificity at 90.9%, with an overall diagnostic accuracy of 89.2%. That sensitivity gap is meaningful - it means Truenat can miss a real infection more often than standard lab RT-PCR does, particularly in samples with a lower amount of virus.
Truenat's real advantage is that it doesn't need samples shipped to a distant lab or a biosafety level-II facility, which mattered enormously for testing access in India during the pandemic. That convenience is why standard lab RT-PCR is still preferred when the most sensitive possible result matters, while Truenat remains useful for fast, local screening.
It means your sample is processed on a portable, chip-based RT-PCR device instead of being sent to a central lab for standard PCR testing. The chemistry is still RT-PCR - detecting the virus's genetic material - just run on smaller, battery-powered equipment.
Not quite. A diagnostic accuracy study comparing the two found Truenat's sensitivity at 69.5% against standard RT-PCR as the reference, meaning it can miss more true infections. That's why a positive result needs a confirmatory second reaction, and why doctors sometimes ask for standard RT-PCR if Truenat is negative but symptoms persist.
The first reaction screens for a gene common to SARS-CoV-2, and only samples that screen positive move to a second, more specific confirmatory reaction. This two-step design helps reduce false positives on the initial screen.
This page is general information about the test, not medical advice. Your own report's reference ranges apply — please discuss your results with your doctor.
Yes. It was developed by an Indian diagnostics company and originally built for point-of-care tuberculosis testing before being adapted and validated by the Indian Council of Medical Research for COVID-19.
Truenat runs on portable, battery-powered equipment that doesn't need a full molecular biology lab, so it can deliver results locally in settings where sending samples to a central lab isn't practical.
That result is reported as negative for SARS-CoV-2, since the confirmatory RdRp reaction is what determines the final result. Your doctor can advise on retesting if your symptoms or exposure history still raise concern.