A Coronavirus Test Result in Five Minutes? Yes, Oxford Scientists Did It!

Scientists from Oxford University have developed a coronavirus test that provides a diagnostic in less than five minutes whilst differentiating SARS-CoV-2 from negative clinical samples and respiratory infections such as influenza.

“Unlike other technologies that detect a delayed antibody response or that require expensive, tedious and time-consuming sample preparation, our method quickly detects intact virus particles; meaning the assay is simple, extremely rapid, and cost-effective,” says Professor Achilles Kapanidis from Oxford University’s Department of Physics.

The method consists of labeling virus particles with short fluorescent DNA strands without having to extract the genome or purifying and amplifying the virus. Then, a machine-learning software quickly and accurately identifies the virus present in the sample as it has its own surface chemistry, size, and shape.

The development of an integrated device that provides a “viral diagnosis in less than 5 minutes can make mass testing a reality,” says Oxford Ph.D. student Nicolas Shiaelis, for crowded places such as businesses, music venues, or airports, thus establishing and safeguarding COVID-19-free spaces. Product development could start in early 2021 and an approved device could be available within 6 months of that time.