Australia invented a 20-minute blood test for the new coronavirus

BEIJING, July 20 (Xinhua
) -- Australian scientists have developed a simple new method of detecting coronavirus, using blood samples to detect whether someone is infected with the new coronavirus in about 20 minutes, according to a report on the website of the Daily Science. Scientists and medical workers around the world could use the method to track the spread of the new coronavirus by tracking close contacts, and to verify the effectiveness of the new coronavirus vaccine, the researchers said.
the latest study, Monash University researchers developed a simple coagulation assay to detect the presence of antibodies in blood samples that detect infection with the new coronavirus. Coagulation determination is an analytical method used to determine the presence and content of a substance in the blood.
researchers explain that red blood cells in blood samples in new coronavirus-positive cases will clot and can be easily seen by the naked eye, allowing them to retrieve positive or negative readings in about 20 minutes. Current swab/PCR testing methods can be used to identify patients who have tested positive for neo-coronary pneumonia, but the coagulation method can determine whether a person is currently infected with and has been infected with a virus in the past, and it can also be used to determine whether a person has tested for antibodies after vaccination to assist in clinical trials.
the method, medical staff can detect 200 blood samples per hour using a simple laboratory device, and more than 700 blood samples per hour using advanced instruments, or about 16,800 blood samples per day, the researchers said.
findings could help high-risk countries conduct population screening, case confirmation, contact tracing to better curb the spread of the new coronavirus, and confirm vaccine effectiveness during clinical trials.
the latest study, published July 18 in the journal American Chemical Society Sensors, researchers have patented the method and are seeking commercial and government funding for mass production.