A new study reports to have found a way to test for COVID-19 that is both as accurate as a PCR test and as fast as an antigen test.
Researchers with Spain-based research institutions IFCO and IrsiCaixa say the device used for the test is also low-cost and can be used "anywhere, by anyone."
According to researchers, the test uses a few drops of saliva instead of nasal swabs, testing COVID-19 patients in less than 30 minutes. The test then uses light to detect the virus in a fluid flowing through a small tube.
Saliva from a patient is put into a fluid containing fluorescent antibodies that attach to the virus. Then, a light shines through the sample.
If the virus is present in the fluid, the light emitted by the sample will change, which is detected by a machine.
According to researchers, a single machine could scan up to 2,000 tests per day.
Researchers say the test could also be adapted to detect other diseases like the flu and microorganisms in water like legionella and E-coli with a "very fast response time."
For more details on the study, click here.
