New COVID-19 Testing Method Gives Result In 1 Second, Say Scientists: Report

New COVID-19 Testing Method: Scientists say this new method which gives Covid test results in just 1 second can greatly reduce the cost of testing. The technology can not only detect COVID-19 but can also be applied to other diseases too, they said.

Scientists have developed a novel sensor system that can detect the novel coronavirus from saliva samples in one second, which is way faster than current COVID-19 diagnostic methods. Detecting the presence of the coronavirus requires amplifying the number of the viral biomarkers, such as the copies of its genetic material. This can be done either using a technique called the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), or amplifying the binding signal for a target biomarker. The new rapid and sensitive test, described in the Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology B, uses the second method but in a sophisticated way, reported news agency Press Trust of India.