Coronavirus: a new global test will give results ‘in minutes’

A test that can diagnose Covid-19 in minutes will dramatically expand the ability to detect cases in low- and middle-income countries, the World Health Organization (WHO) said.

The $ 5 (£ 3.80) test could transform Covid-19 tracking in less wealthy countries, which have a shortage of healthcare workers and laboratories.

An agreement with the manufacturers will provide 120 million tests over six months.

The WHO director called it an important milestone.

The long gaps between taking a test and receiving a result have hampered attempts by many countries to control the spread of the coronavirus.

In some countries with high infection rates, including India and Mexico, experts have said that low testing rates mask the true spread of their outbreaks.

The “new, highly portable and easy-to-use test” will provide results in 15-30 minutes rather than hours or days, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a news conference on Monday.

Drug makers Abbott and SD Biosensor have agreed with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation charity to produce 120 million tests, explained Dr. Tedros.

The agreement covers 133 countries, including many in Latin America, which is currently the region most affected by the pandemic in terms of death and infection rates.

“This is a vital addition to its testing capability and especially important in high transmission areas,” added Dr. Tedros.

“This will allow for the expansion of testing, particularly in hard-to-reach areas that do not have laboratory facilities or enough trained health workers to perform the tests,” he said.

What are the other major developments on Monday?

• New restrictions have been announced in the Netherlands, where the Health Minister says authorities are struggling to keep the virus under control. The new rules say that no more than three adult guests will be allowed inside the houses; bars and restaurants must close at 22:00 and there will be shopping hours exclusively for vulnerable people
• In other European countries, new rules came into force. One million Madrid residents will not be able to leave their area except to go to school or work, and public parks will close. In 12 areas of France, including Paris, bars must close between 22:00 and 06:00 and in Brussels, cafes and bars must close at 23:00.

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• The hotel quarantine system in Victoria, Australia, was responsible for the deaths of 768 people and 18,418 infections, an investigation has heard. It was also reported that the plan, which began on March 29 and was supposed to protect residents from the virus, was “hastily mounted” in less than two days.
• The number of Covid-19 cases in India has exceeded six million, and experts say the situation may get worse due to the upcoming holiday season, especially during the Diwali festival, when people go shopping.

• The pubs will be able to reopen in Kenya on Tuesday, six months after they were closed to slow the spread of the coronavirus. But President Uhuru Kenyatta has extended the night curfew for 60 more days, and schools will remain closed.

• Medical whistleblowers in the Chinese capital, Beijing, will receive greater protection under a new law passed on Sunday. The new rules follow the high-profile case of Dr. Li Wenliang, an ophthalmologist in the city of Wuhan, where the coronavirus appeared late last year.

• There is fear of a sudden fall spike in the US, where infections are growing in 21 states, according to analysis of Johns Hopkins University data by broadcaster CNN. Those states make up nearly half the country, and the number of cases last week increased by at least 10% compared to the previous week. The United States has reported more than seven million confirmed cases and last week it exceeded 200,000 deaths
• The G20 summit in November will be held virtually, according to an announcement by the authorities of Saudi Arabia, which currently holds the presidency of the group.