Chinese scientists say they have developed a COVID-19 test that can process results as accurately as PCR tests in less than four minutes.
PCR tests are the most accurate on the market, but must be processed in a lab, which so far takes a few hours at minimum. When labs are overwhelmed by local surges in infection, processing can last days.
Quicker, 15-minute rapid antigen tests are less reliable than the PCR alternative.
Researchers at Fudan University collected nasal samples from 33 PCR-positive COVID-19 patients, 23 PCR-negative patients, six influenza-positive patients and 25 healthy volunteers. The test accurately processed all cases without error in under four minutes, according to a peer-reviewed study published Monday in the journal Nature Biomedical Engineering.
PCR tests are more precise than antigen tests because they are more sensitive. Antigen tests require a higher concentration of the virus than PCR tests to show a positive result. This means antigen tests are more likely to show a false negative.
Source: www.dw.com
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