A Scottish university's new test for coronavirus has been proven to be more than 99 per cent accurate in official UK government medical tests.
The University of Aberdeen's Universal EpitoGen test has passed the penultimate round of quality tests laid down by UK medical chiefs at the National Institute for Biological Standards and Control.
In assessments at the NIBSC - part of the UK's MHRA regulatory body - the Scots test detected antibody responses with an accuracy level of 99.5 per cent.
It also correctly identified negative results in 98.5 per cent of cases.
For comparison, a recent study found that lateral flow tests typically have an accuracy rate of around 80 per cent, rising to 90 per cent in the most infectious cases.
Scientists from the university say the EpitoGen test performs better than other existing Covid tests because it does not become less accurate as new variants emerge.
The testing system uses artificial intelligence to identify exactly which telltale signs of Covid infection to look for in the antibodies of people who have the virus - rather than looking for the virus itself.
This means it can help detect new emerging variants, including the Omicron variant, with a previously unmatched level of accuracy - and even how well a person has responded to vaccination.
Better tests and more accurate results could mean a smaller risk of accidentally transmitting Covid in future.
And the potential thumbs-up from the government could put the tests one step closer to being rolled out on the NHS.
Professor Mirela Delibegovic, academic lead on the project, said: “The news that our tests are so remarkably accurate is extremely exciting, particularly given the increasing worry around the emergence of new variants.
“These tests can be adapted quickly and efficiently to incorporate new mutations - an important development, as we are right now realising the importance of detecting and monitoring new Covid variants.
“So, to have the validation that this test has such a phenomenal level of accuracy is hugely encouraging and important.”
The project was funded with £102,000 of Scottish Government cash from its Rapid Recovery in Covid-19 fund, and completed with the help of industry firm Vertebrate Antibodies and health board NHS Grampian.
Dr Tiehui Wang, director of Biologics at Vertebrate Antibodies, called the test "paradigm shifting" - adding that it could potentially be used to improve diagnosing other conditions such as Lyme disease and type 1 diabetes.
The news comes after public health bosses warned Scots to cancel their Christmas parties as the Omicron variant continues to spread.
Public Health Scotland's Dr Nick Phin said the variant was "much more transmissible" and that too little was yet known about the risks it poses to health.
He added: “I appreciate that everyone is keen to celebrate this festive season, particularly after the pressures of the last twenty months, but by postponing some plans we can all do our bit to protect ourselves and our loved ones.”
Officially, there are 109 cases of the Omicron variant in Scotland as of Thursday - but the real number could be almost four times higher.
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