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Two new tests for COVID-19 which can produce results in 90 minutes, avoiding the need for laboratory testing, are to be rolled-out across hospitals and care settings in the UK.
The first test, LamPore, has been developed by Oxford Nanopore technologies and is able to detect active COVID-19 infection in both swab and salvia samples and has been shown to have the same sensitivity as lab-based tests. The aim is for the test to be used in hospitals, care homes and other settings to increase testing capacity ahead of winter. The palm-sized device, which can process up to 2000 tests day, will, in the future, also be able to detect multiple respiratory viruses in a single sample.
The second test, DnaNudge’s RNA COVID-19 test, which was developed by a team from Imperial college, London, uses a cheek swab sample which is directly inserted into the device, is based on a polymerase chain reaction and delivers the result in just over an hour.
According to the government press release, 450,000 LamPore swab tests will be available across adult care settings and laboratories from week commencing 10 August, 2020. The DnaNudge test has already been trialled in eight London hospitals to analysis DNA in nose swabs and it is expected that 5000 devices will be used in the coming months.
Reference
Roll-out of 2 new rapid coronavirus tests ahead of winter.
www.gov.uk/government/news/roll-out-of-2-new-rapid-coronavirus-tests-ahead-of-winter
