A coronavirus test which gives results almost immediately could soon be available, it has been claimed.
A pocket-size gadget which can detect the virus has been developed by experts, which can give results almost immediately from a tiny amount of saliva or blood and even can show the virus’ strength.
Researcher Minghan Xian, of the University of Florida said the new test could alleviate slow coronavirus testing turnaround time issues.
He added: “Our testing strips are similar to commercially available glucose test strips used by diabetics.
“Electrodes are exposed to blood or saliva. One is coated with gold and Covid antibodies. Our sensor system uses a transistor to amplify the electrical signal, which then gets converted into a number on the screen.
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“The magnitude of this number depends on the concentration of antigen, the viral protein, present within our test solution.”
Details of the new testing system were published in the Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology.
The team has demonstrated a similar technique that diagnoses the Zika virus, heart attacks and cerebral spinal fluid leaks.
Detecting coronavirus requires screening for small segments of DNA – such as PCR (polymerase chain reaction) tests.
They can be tracked in the body before antibodies form – or symptoms of the disease are present.
Current lateral flow tests take around half an hour to show a result, but they are fiddly and not very accurate.
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The new test system is also potentially much cheaper and less wasteful because the gadget is reusable, it is claimed.
Its inventors believe it can be altered slightly to test for other viruses and illnesses including heart attack.
The development from experts at the University of Florida comes after scientists in the US also developed a new test for Covid that could give you results in just 15 minutes.
The test uses a fluorescent light to search for antigens that belong to Covid-19 and experts think the tests could also be developed for other illnesses as well as Covid and this would see if you have been infected in as little 15 minutes.
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Experts say the fluorescent light searches for antigens, little proteins on the surface of a virus molecule, that belong to Covid-19.
The probe will then light up if it detects a specific virus.
Experts created a new molecule which was coded to look for both Covid antigens and those that are present when someone has the flu, to develop the new tests.
They say no extra equipment is needed as the molecule will shine bright enough so that someone administering the test can see.