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Imperial College London
A rapid test can accurately diagnose a coronavirus infection in 90 minutes without the need for a specialized laboratory, scientists say.
The Imperial College London study showed that the “lab on a chip” gave results comparable to current tests.
The device is already being used in eight NHS hospitals to quickly identify patients carrying the virus.
However, experts warn that the kit will not be a solution to the troubled Test and Trace program.
The device, developed by the DnaNudge company, can be used by anyone capable of taking a swab from the nose or throat.
The swab is placed inside a disposable blue cartridge that contains the chemicals needed for the test.
This, in turn, is inserted into a shoebox-sized machine to perform the analysis.
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The study, published in the Lancet Microbe, compared the results when samples from 386 people received both the DnaNudge and standard laboratory tests.
“The performance was comparable, which is very reassuring when trying to incorporate a new technology,” said Professor Graham Cooke, Imperial College London.
“Many tests involve a compromise between speed and precision, but this test achieves both.”
If the laboratory tests indicated that the patient was free of the virus, so did the rapid test. If the lab tests said the patient had the virus, the rapid test agreed 94% of the time.
The UK has already ordered 5,000 Nudgebox machines and 5.8 million disposable cartridges.
However, there is a major drawback, as each box can only run one test at a time. So in one day, a box could run around 16 tests.
Professor Cooke said: “They are useful in clinical settings when trying to make a quick decision.”
He described a patient last week who was quickly identified as a Covid carrier and started on the drugs dexamethasone and remdesivir.
The tests could be even more useful for hospitals in the future, as it is theoretically possible to test for coronavirus, influenza, and respiratory syncytial virus (one of the main reasons young children are admitted to hospital) when Same time.
However, the capacity issue means that the test cannot solve problems with NHS Test and Trace or help with Operation Moonshot and plans for 10 million tests per day.
Testing 60,000 people in a stadium before a soccer game would require 60,000 boxes, but it can be useful in smaller venues.
Professor Lawrence Young, who was not part of the research and from the University of Warwick, said the technology was “innovative.”
He added: “The CovidNudge test could play an important role when real-time and close-to-patient decision-making is needed, such as screening patients for admission to hospital or for surgery.
“[However,] This is not the answer to universal mass testing. “
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