Rapid tests for coronavirus and their accuracy
Since the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic, progress has been made on testing, tracing and treating people infected with the virus, and industries have developed several vaccines in a record time. However, until a majority of the population will be vaccinated, limiting the circulation of the virus by timely and widespread surveillance remains the only way to reduce the emergence of variants that are potentially resistant to vaccines. Developing rapid, accurate and affordable tests for COVID-19 is still a priority, and the goal of several industries and academic projects. EU research on rapid tests to fight coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 outbreak Among the projects focused on diagnostics and supported by the European Union to face the sanitary emergency, the biggest one is CORONADX, with eight partners from Europe and China. It is developing quick tests that can be used on-site, without the need to transport the samples to a laboratory. The quickest test developed by the project is called Pathag. It doesn’t require any device and hardly any training and provides results in less than one minute. It could be used for instance to screen carriers of the virus at airports, transport hubs, cruise ships, public gatherings or to monitor home quarantines. The system uses antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 that are fixed to microscopic latex beads. This solution is mixed into the patient’s sample (e.g. a nasopharyngeal swab or sputum). If the sample contains the virus, the antibodies bind to the viral particles and bring the latex beads along, forming a clump visible to the naked eye. The reaction, called latex fixation test, occurs within 10-20 seconds and can be done on a small, inexpensive paper strip. Watch the video on Pathag, rapid test to detect Covid-19 coronavirus developed by the EU project Coronadx https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9ku08zsu3s&t=5s Aiming to higher accuracy, another rapid test developed by the project, called Pathpod, is expected to reach a level comparable to RT-PCR (the current gold standard for the molecular diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2), with the advantage of being faster and on-site. It can be suitable for rapid second-line detection in mobile clinics and community health centres. The test relies on easy-to-use gear, provides results in 30 minutes and requires minimal training. An operator pours the sample on a lab-on-a-chip cartridge and loads it into an automatic, portable device to perform the analysis. The system is based on Loop-mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP), a molecular technology that amplifies and detects the specific genetic sequences of the virus. The system can process up to 10 samples in a single run. Watch the video on Pathpod, rapid test to detect Covid-19 coronavirus developed by the EU project Coronadx https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJ9aOhw7rUM The difference between a rapid test for the coronavirus and a standard one The word “rapid” defines any method which is significantly faster than the ones we use today to detect SARS-Cov2. The golden standard test is based on a technology called RT-PCR. The sample must be sent to a qualified laboratory and takes several hours to give a result. Rapid tests take less than an hour or even a few minutes. They are often performed at Point of Care (POC), meaning that the samples are processed on-site. This is faster and cheaper. With rapid tests, more people can be checked at work or during travel. Carriers can be detected earlier and quarantines can be shortened for those who test negative. Serological tests are not rapid tests for the coronavirus Serological tests are often referred to as rapid because they can be performed in a few minutes, but they are not designed to detect the virus. Only the molecular ones can tell whether a person carries the virus. Read the full article on: https://www.youris.com/health/genetics/rapid-tests-for-coronavirus-and-their-accuracy.kl
Keywords
COVID-19, pandemic, rapid test, vaccines, emergence, virus, research, coronavirus, tests, serological