Coronavirus: New COVID-19 test ‘takes just 20 minutes and is weeks away’

A test for COVID-19 which takes just 20 minutes instead of 90 could be just weeks away, according to scientists at the University of South Wales.

Originally developed to identify urinary tract infections, the test reduces the three stage temperature cycle needed by the current method to only one.

Dr Emma Hayhurst, from USW, said: “The key things about the test is that it’s quicker, it requires less sample processing and also it doesn’t use the same chemical mixture.

“That means that we can get around the current global bottleneck that we’re experiencing for chemical reagents by using this different basis for the chemical reaction.”

The availability of existing testing kits, and the rate at which the tests are being carried out, have become major concerns in recent weeks.

Data suggests countries that have done the most testing have had better results in halting the spread of the virus.

The government’s target for COVID-19 testing was 25,000 per day by mid-April and 100,000 per day by the end of the month.

But it has been a struggle to meet those targets.

Figures released by the NHS at the weekend show that 460,437 people had been tested by 9am on 18 April.

But the rate of testing is still only around 21,000 per day.

Engineers at the university have also been working on making a mobile version of the testing kit for use at point of care.

Dr Jeroen Nieuwland said: “We have been developing our diagnostic testing platform for the last few years, so we know that it works well for other infections such as urinary tract infections. We have modified this very sensitive and precise technique which is based on proven molecular (LAMP) technology.

“It was designed to be a simple, quick and cost effective test, which is suitable for the diagnosis of a range of infections, so our work over the last few years has enabled us to quickly switch it to detect the underlying virus for COVID-19.”

The new test is being evaluated in collaboration with Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board.

Over the past week a number of NHS staff members who reported having symptoms were asked to provide two swabs – one for the accredited Public Health Wales test and one for the new USW test – to confirm the accuracy and performance of the underlying molecular technology.

The university says preliminary results suggest a strong correlation between the tests.

After the initial evaluation the team will be moving on to optimise their test for use at point of care.

If all goes well, they hope the test could be available “within a few weeks.”

(c) Sky News 2020: Coronavirus: New COVID-19 test ‘takes just 20 minutes and is weeks away’