COVID-19 testing: Suparshva to double capacity for manufacturing swabs

With coronavirus infections continuing to rise across the country, personal hygiene consumer products firm Suparshva Swabs has decided to more than double the capacity for manufacturing swabs used in COVID-19 testing.

The firm, which owns cotton bud brand Tulips, will manufacture 5 million swabs a week by the end of the month from its Ghaziabad factory, ramping up from the present capacity of 2 million a week, an official statement said.

India has over 1 lakh infected cases and over 3,000 deaths because of the pandemic, and the infections while being contained to specific geographic areas are rising fast. Experts fear the situation will only get more difficult in the monsoon.

Nasal and throat swabs are taken from a suspect while testing for COVID-19.

Suparshva said it is converting its production lines and re-configuring equipment to raise its manufacturing capabilities and added that if need be, the same can be taken up to 30 million a week as well.

The swab was developed by the company after the outbreak of the crisis.

The company employs 400 workers who make the swabs.