- Researchers say they have developed a rapid COVID-19 test that can produce results in 1 second.
- Experts say the test could be useful at public events, airports, and other places where a 5- to 10-minute wait for results can be inconvenient.
- The researchers said more study needs to be done, but it’s possible this test will be sold by a private company at some point.
A group of scientists from the United States and Taiwan say they have developed a test that can detect whether someone has COVID-19 in 1 second.
The research published this week in the Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology B says researchers from the University of Florida and Taiwan’s National Chiao Tung University report they’ve created a rapid and sensitive testing method for COVID-19 biomarkers.
Currently, the fastest reported results detecting positive signs of infection run anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes.
The research is being done by scientists who have previously worked on methods to detect biomarkers relevant to the Zika virus, heart attacks, and cerebral spinal fluid leaks. They used that experience to develop a sensor system they say can detect an infection almost immediately.
“A very fast test would be welcome technology wherever outbreaks are occurring, so long as it is accurate, easy to use, and widely accessible,” Dr. William Li, a COVID-19 researcher and the president and medical director of the Angiogenesis Foundation, told Healthline.
“A fast COVID-19 test would be useful in a doctor’s office, an urgent care facility, and a hospital emergency room,” Li said. “But it could also be useful at the airport or a hotel at check-in, or part of clearance to a worksite or to an indoor event like a concert or a theater. The key to COVID testing throughout the pandemic has always been accuracy and availability.”
Source: healthline