LONDON: Scientists in the UK have developed the lab-in-a-backpack they say as accurate as Covid-19 tests are commercially available in detecting SARS-COV-2.
A compact cellular kit is relatively cheap to make, at a total cost of US $ 51, the researchers said.
This can offer alternative testing solutions for resource-poor countries or remote areas with a little access to complete testing laboratories or trained personnel to process samples, they said.
“We are very excited for the potential of this cellular lab to conduct Covid-19 tests and the possibility of democratizing access to cheap testing technology,” said Professor Stoyan Smoukov, a professor at Queen Mary University of London.
“Covid-19 test is a timely application, but we also believe in this kit people can do a large number of blood tests and routine urine, giving centrifuge from the central hospital facilities,” said Stoyan.
Kit, described in the journal Plos One, is based on a simple and non-invasive Covid-19 lamp test.
It uses low-cost hardware, including a centrifuge made of a recycled computer hard drive to process samples.
Light tests are alternatives widely accepted for PCR tests commonly used, have similar ones.
Sensitivity.
However, unlike PCR tests, the light test does not require a temperature cycle.
It only requires a single high temperature to strengthen the potential of the RNA virus.
This allows tests to be done with only equipment and minimal reagents, the researchers said.
Because the light test uses saliva samples, it also avoids the need for invasive and uncomfortable nasal wipers, they said.
However, the high cost of the commercially available lights test, as well as expensive lab equipment needed to run it, means that the current commercial approach is not suitable for remote locations, or testing at home.
“The new kit will provide a decent and inexpensive test for areas such as Africa, where innovative solutions are very important during the Covid-19 pandemic,” Emily Lin said, from Queen Mary University of London.
“It can also be used in resource-rich areas, for example, in high school classrooms to show how to test Covid-19,” Lin said, the lead author of the study.
The researchers noted that regular testing was an important part of the global effort to manage the Covid-19 pandemic, and it was expected that low-cost testing solutions could help increase access to fast and effective testing.
The following steps will include making kit instructions easier to understand so that people can use them regardless of their experience or language, and validate tests with real patient samples, he added.