Right now, the gold-standard test for COVID-19 is the PCR test. This is usually favored more than the rapid testing kits (RTK) as they have been found to be more accurate. However, the downside to PCR tests is that they usually take a while for results to come back as they have to be sent to a lab for analysis.
The wait can be excruciating as we imagine is the case with a lot of medical related tests, but over in France, researchers have developed a test that they claim works three times as fast and does not require a lab. They are also claiming that this test, which is currently a prototype, is as accurate as PCR tests.
Based on their initial tests which used nanobodies taken from the camelid of animals, returned the results in as little as 10 minutes, and were found to be 90% as accurate as PCR tests. The results can also be read on a smartphone which makes it a lot more convenient and could help speed up the testing in hospitals, clinics, airports, and so on.
However, it should be noted that the test is still in the prototype phase and their initial test involved 300 samples. This means that whether or not it will hold up as well as PCR tests in the real world remains to be seen, but it’s still something we might be able to look forward to in the future.
Filed in . Read more about Coronavirus, Covid-19, Health and Science. Source: theguardian