Rapid Testing Kit
Hassle-free, like a pregnancy test
Hello Guys!
In this blog post I am going to introduce a kit that can detect Covid-19 in ten minutes. Didn’t I already discuss the methods that can be utilized to identify the virus ? What makes this kit special ? How does it work? Well, I am going to address all these questions.
Why is this kit so special?
The so-called ‘golden standard’ for identifying the virus, currently, is based on the RT-PCR method. However it is time consuming (compared to the RTK) and technical since it utilizes expensive machinery to obtain the results.
Hence to yield results accurately and simply, within a short period of time and without using technical components, the Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART) in collaboration with Nanyang Technological University (NTU) has developed a paper-based testing kit.
How does it work?
It’s actually simple – The kit consists of a white paper-like material that turns blue when the clinical sample contains the viral proteins.
So basically, there are these molecules present in the paper that recognizes and captures the proteins that are only present in the SARS-Cov-2 (name of virus that causes Covid-19). The captured viral proteins are identified through a visual read-out (an electronic device the displays information is a visual form).
What’s the difference?
Biological: The SARS- Cov-2 contains both RNA and proteins. The RT-PCR method recognizes the RNA of the virus, whereas the kit focuses on recognizing the proteins specific to the virus.
Accuracy: the RT-PCR may offer false positives if the test is inaccurately done. This paper-based testing, since it identifies the proteins of the virus, ensures much more accurate test results.
Time: this kit detects corona in 10 mins, which is (obviously) lesser than the 24 hours taken by the RT-PCR tests
Technicality: the RT-PCR method uses many technical components and requires professionals to handle the equipment. The kit is more or less like a pregnancy test (this kit is literally a paper) so it is super easy to utilize.
Current status:
This kit is has been validated by in the laboratory settings. The step that is remaining is to perform the clinical tests and ensure that the product is 100% effective.
If this product is clinically approved, then there is no doubt that this kit will revolutionize the detection of Covid-19.
Check out my blog posts on detection of Covid-19: RT-PCR & Serology testing
Check out the SMART website for more information on the Rapid Testing Kit.
