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Hong Kong-based PPE and Medical Device Specialist Launches a Groundbreaking New, Safe, Easy and Effective Alternative Solution for Parents and Children Faced with Daily Testing in the New School Year
HONG KONG, Aug. 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- AQUILAVIE® launches its newest consumer product, the AQUILAVIE® SARS-CoV-2 Ag Diagnostic Test Kit – AQ Lollipop. The Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) features a 2-in-1 oral and nasal swab that gives users two options for sample collection at equally high sensitivities. The AQ Lollipop ensures a safe, painless and reliable testing experience especially for children aged 1+, making it the perfect choice for kids in the new school year.
While many parents have voiced concern over the thick nasal swab in traditional RAT kits which can be uncomfortable for children, the AQ Lollipop was designed with seamless application and comfort in mind. Extensive clinical studies and research confirmed the upper palate and the inside of the cheeks as the most accurate area to collect an oral saliva sample (more so than spitting, scraping under the tongue, or sucking on the test cassette). To test orally, simply insert the tip of the swab into the mouth, then scrape the upper palate and the inside of both cheeks four times for a total of 15 seconds. The dual use test can also be processed for nasal sample collection following the same procedure as standard COVID-19 self-test kits. Results are provided in just 15 minutes for both collection methods.
Approved for use in the European Union and Hong Kong, the highly sensitive AQ Lollipop is able to detect all known COVID-19 variants of note, including the highly transmissible Omicron (BA.1 / BA.2 / BA.4 / BA.5), Delta, Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Lambda and Mu variants. AquilaVIE aims to deliver on both comfort and efficacy in their AquilaVIE Kids product offerings, providing young ones with a sense of ease while protecting them throughout the pandemic. Alongside the AQ Lollipop, AquilaVIE Kids also includes the popular AQ FFP2 Butterfly Mask for Kids featuring its proprietary butterfly 3D design for a better fit on smaller faces. To ensure a safe and smooth school year ahead, AquilaVIE has created a convenient Back-to-School Bundle that includes a month's supply of 20 AQ Lollipop tests, a box of 20 breathable AQ Kids Butterfly Masks, and a complimentary AquilaVIE Kids Backpack for just HK$498 (worth HK$868 total). The bundle is available exclusively on the AquilaVIE online shop at http://shop.aquilavie.com.
Improving the self-testing experience for children
AquilaVIE remains committed to elevating user experience in the fight against COVID-19. Certain traditional RAT kits can cause irritation, discomfort, and even nosebleeds in children. Created to suit the needs and anatomies of little ones, the AQ Lollipop allows for effortless and comfortable testing while maintaining its sensitivity to COVID-19.
AQ Lollipop boasts the same level of sensitivity as AquilaVIE's signature self-test kit – 100% for CT below 25 (high viral load) and 95.7% for CT 25-30 (moderate viral load). Out of 249 different RATs tested by the Paul Ehrlich Institute for the German Federal Ministry of Health, the AQ Lollipop ranked second highest in terms of sensitivity.[1] The kit is included on the EC HSC Common List of Approved RATs and conforms with the EU In Vitro Diagnostic Medical Devices Directive.
"While the pandemic has upended all our lives, there is no denying its grave disruption to our most vulnerable population – children. Committed to doing our part in making these uncertain times as manageable as possible for little ones, we've designed research-backed products focused on safeguarding children's health while also ensuring ease of use. We are pleased to bring our new AQ Lollipop to the market. Designed with children's anatomies in mind, the dual-use kit allows users to experience a safe, effective, and comfortable alternative to standard nasal RATs. Early detection of the virus is still key to reducing spread to our loved ones, and I am hopeful that our product innovations will continue to live up to our social responsibility in order to bring genuine improvement to our communities," said Sophie Martineau, Founder and CEO of Aquila Healthcare Limited.
Helping Hong Kong parents prepare for back-to-school
Apart from the AQ Lollipop, the AquilaVIE Kids line also includes children's face masks that offer robust protection and all-day comfort before, during and after school. AquilaVIE's special butterfly mask design provides a better fit for children's faces and the masks feature a five-layer filtration system that provides over 99% filtration while enhancing breathability. Made with the highest quality, lightweight, skin-friendly fabrics and a soft, supple interior, the masks come in a range of four fun colours: blue, pink, lavender or white.
Parents can stock up on the AQ Lollipop and AQ Kids Butterfly Masks just in time for the new school year. They are available on the AquilaVIE online shop (http://shop.aquilavie.com) in the following packs
| [1] It is reported in a Comparative Sensitivity Evaluation of 249 different Rapid Antigen Tests conducted by the Paul Ehrlich Institut for the German Federal Ministry of Health (May 2021). |
About Aquila Healthcare Limited
Aquila Group Holdings, a Hong Kong-based manufacturing and sourcing specialist with more than 20 years of experience designing and producing highly technical and detail-oriented interiors solutions for the luxury retail sector, launched Aquila Healthcare Limited in early 2020 to contribute to the fight against COVID-19. Helmed by long-time Hong Kong resident Sophie Martineau, the company is driven by an unwavering social responsibility to make a positive contribution to global anti-pandemic efforts and to broaden access to life-saving medical devices and protective equipment. It has successfully developed and brought to market a robust portfolio of high-quality, reliable and cost-effective products for healthcare professionals – from medical-grade masks and protective gloves to lab equipment needed for testing and vaccinations, to diagnostic tools such as Rapid Antigen Tests – under the AQUILAVIE® brand. Going beyond conventional benchmarks of performance and quality, Aquila Healthcare meticulously manages each part of its supply chain to ensure absolute precision, quality and safety for each of its products; the integrity of each part of the process is independently verified and certified.
