Currently, PCR tests (Polymerase Chain Reaction) are the global standard for COVID-19 testing. However, their results usually take several hours. Researchers at Fudan University in Shanghai, China, seem to have found an alternative. They have developed a new test to detect COVID-19 that produces results as accurate as a lab-conducted PCR test but delivers results within minutes, according to an article published in the journal "Nature Biomedical Engineering."
**Providing Speed**
The team of scientists stated in their research that they developed a sensor that uses microelectronics to analyze DNA samples collected via swabs. This sensor, connected to a portable device, allows for obtaining results in "less than 4 minutes," as explained by its developers, who noted that this device has "high sensitivity" and provides speed, ease of operation, and portability.
To test this new technology, samples were taken from 33 individuals infected with the virus. Parallel PCR tests were conducted to compare the two methods. According to the publication, the results shown by both techniques were identical.
**Even "At Home"**
Furthermore, researchers at Fudan University indicated that once the devices are developed, they will be used in many locations, including airports, hospitals, and even "at home," according to Agence France-Presse. It is noteworthy that, in addition to their slow results, PCR tests require infrastructure and laboratories, which many developing countries have only a limited number of. This poses a barrier to tracking and detecting infections during the pandemic. China is one of the largest producers of PCR tests in the world, having exported tests worth a total of $1.6 billion in December, an increase of 144% within a month, according to Chinese customs.
